OS1/7/3/51
| List of names as written | Various modes of spelling | Authorities for spelling | Situation | Description remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUMULI [Burn of Rattar] | Norse Grave Mounds | Robert Campbell, Schoolmaster Dunnet John Swanson Esq. Ham Alexander Moodie, Corsback |
001 | About 15 Chains - west along the shore - from where the Burn of Rattar enters the sea - in a field called the Cairns Park - there are within a few yards of each other three mounds about 4 or 5 feet in height shaped like inverted boats - large stones on edge appear in several places - and large slabs lying flat where some of the soil has been removed. A description of them was sent to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland by Mr Campbell schoolmaster, Dunnet - and Mr Anderson one of the members - at a meeting of the society - pronounced them to be Norse Ship-grave-hills as the Norseman were the only makers of these boat like mounds or as they are sometimes called 'ship-barrows'. Mr Anderson says: 'It is related in the 15th Chapter of the Orkney Inga Saga, that a bloody sea-fight took place in the year 1046 off the Caithness coast, when Earl Thorfinn, who then lived at Gills, opposed the landing of his nephew, Ronald Brusison, who came over from Orkney with thirty ships. Thorfinn had sixty ships, but Ronald's were much larger; and Thorfinn getting the worst of it, was obliged to draw to land; before he renewed the battle in which he was finally victorious, it is said that he landed 76 dead men, besides his wounded. Of course, the dead that were thus landed wd [would] be buried there. The locality of the fight is said in the "Saga" to have been off Randaboirg (over) [Continued on page 52] |
Continued entries/extra info
[Page] 51Parish of Dunnet -- Co [County] of Caithness
Transcribers who have contributed to this page.
Moira L- Moderator, David Glass
Location information for this page.
Linked mapsheets.
