By Bernie Bell

The first turf has been cut at a site near Finstown for the Orkney-Caithness Subsea Link substation.

During previous exploratory excavations nine – possibly Bronze Age – figurines were discovered and I wrote a little poem for them

Nine Little Figurines

 
Nine little figurines

From the Bronze Age

 
Some placed ‘neath Standing Stones

Some used as weights?

 
Some placed by the hearth

To keep the place safe

 
Nine little figurines

From the Bronze Age

 
BB  Dec. 2019

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Nine possible Bronze Age figurines unearthed at substation excavation in Orkney?

This discovery shows that something was happening there in Pre-history. 

There are quite a few sites of archaeological interest nearby.  There’s a Broch in Finstown which looks like a lumpy bit by the road until you walk round the Oyce, which gives a different perspective on Finstown including the Broch suddenly standing out very clearly as a mound – a Broch by water among hills with a gap leading through to the Neolithic Heart of Orkney.

There’s a war-time pill-box on top of the Broch – a nice combination of pre-history and history.

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16608

And there’s a cairn on a hill by Biscarth …..

Binscarth Wood On An Autumn Day

I’m now wondering what might turn up as they dig the foundations for the Sub-station and associated structures.  There will be archaeologists on site – there usually are these days.

Watch this space.