Gairsay - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Cubbie Roo's Castle is one of the oldest examples of its type in Scotland. Built as the base for a Viking named Kolbein Hruga, it's thought the structure could have been three storeys high, commanding strategic views out over Gairsay Sound and the surrounding approaches. The ruin we see today has been identified as the castle described in the saga, and 'Roo' is probably a corruption of 'Kolbein Hruga'.

Wyre is one of the Orkney Islands, lying south-east of Rousay. It is 311 hectares and 32 metres at its highest point. It is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the archipelago. Orkney Ferries sail from the island to Tingwall on the Orkney Mainland, Egilsay and Rousay.

Taversöe Tuick is a Neolithic burial cairn on Rousay, Orkney, Scotland, thought to date from between 4000 and 2500 BCE. The monument includes a rare example of a double-tiered chamber, an upper chamber approached via a passageway and a lower subterranean chamber, originally separate, which can now be reached via a modern ladder from the upper chamber. The site is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

Trumland is a Category B listed house and associated estate on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland, built in its present form in 1875. This house is of a strong baronial design, with crow-stepped gables and canted windows, made from the local Rousay stone, with fine carved finials and architectural detailingExplore the woodland and water gardens, as well as the lawns, walled garden and orchard. There is also a picnic area at Trumland House Gardens which are open between May and October.

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic cairn on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.It is thought to date from around 3000 BC. The structure is a typical stalled cairn, with an interior divided into seven compartments by pairs of upright stone slabs. The cairn has a modern roof, as the cairn originally was only a few feet high. Access is by a hatchway and ladder in the roof, as the original entrance was sealed

Knowe of Yarso is one of at least 15 chambered tombs on the small island of Rousay. These were used for communal burial and their distribution probably relates to landholding by small farming communities. The chamber is relatively well lit inside with natural daylight that comes through small glass panels in the protective roof that has been added in more recent years.