It was time for a day trip to Rousay, the little island just vis a vis from Evie and the Broch of Gurness. It is the 6th largest island of Orkney and around 200 people live in Rousay.
Travelling there is a bit scary, at least the part when you have to reverse drive onto the ferry, down a pier. Lucky for me the guys at the ferry are great at directing and we didn´t land in the sea. The ferry ride to Rousay is short, but better keep your car windows closed, there might be some waves…
Rousay has been nicknamed ‘The Egypt of the North’ due to its richness in archaeological sites – a total of 166, including Midhowe Broch and Cairn, a popular destinations for visitors to the island. (Around Rousay.co.uk)
Unfortunately, many places to visit were closed, but I still walked up a hill to see the Knowe of Yurso from the outside.
Knowe of Yarso
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. (Historic Enviroment Scotland)
The remains of at least 29 people, as well as deer and dogs, were found in this cairn.
Knowe of Yarso dates back to between 3500 and 2500 BC and was in use until the late 2000s BC. The chamber inside is divided into compartments by upright slabs.
The site was closed, but I still enjoyed the walk up the hill and the views from here towards “mainland” Orkney and the island Eynhallow.
