Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is part of a 21 acre peninsula on Mainland, the main island of belonging to Scotland Orkney. The Brough is a tidal island at high tide it is an island at low tide it can be reached dry-shod. The name refers to an eponymous Birsay parish, located at the northwest end of Brough.

In Birsay, possibly on the Brough, was located after the Orkney Inga Saga, the first Earl's seat since about 880 AD to Norway belonging Orkneys. The remains of a palatial building with numerous rooms belonging to the residence Thorfinn's the Mighty ( Thorfinn the Mighty, 1009-1065 AD).

As on some other Brough existed here sometime a monastery, found in the region of which the ruins of a church from the 11th century. It is questionable whether the Christian Church founded by Thorfinn is identical with that on the Brough proven; because under the present village church of Birsay, the foundations of a large temple were unearthed during excavations. Near an old engraving According once stood a house that could have been the bishop's residence. The only evidence of their existence are lintels that were used in the new village church again and wear the episcopal inscription " Bellus Mons ".

At the northwestern end of the island since 1925, is a small, unmanned, erbauter by David Alan Stevenson lighthouse.