Region : Orkney Island : Mainland Town or village : Kirkwall Grid Reference : HY 441 116 Period : 1st millennium BC Grain (Grainbank) SOUTERRAIN (EARTH-HOUSE)

Now on the outskirts of Kirkwall (Orkney), this Iron Age earth-house or souterrain is constructed deep underground: two metres of soil separates its roof from the ground surface. Some steps lead down into the passage (the lower ones are original). The drystone-walled passage is 4.7m long and 0.9m high and roofed by flat lintels. It curves to an oval chamber, 1.6m high, where four free-standing stone pillars support a lintelled roof. The site was discovered in 1827 and re-opened and excavated 30 years later. In 1982 a second smaller earth-house was discovered a few meters to the west. In care of Historic Scotland

Other souterrains ------------------ Carlungie Culsh Grain Jarlshof Portnancon (Laid) Rennibister Tealing Other sites in Orkney ---------------------- Barnhouse Settlement Barnhouse Stone Blackhammer Comet Stone Cuween Hill Dwarfie Stane Grain Gurness Holm of Papa Westray North Holm of Papa Westray South Isbister (Tomb of the Eagles) Knap of Howar Knowe of Lairo Knowe of Yarso Liddle Maes Howe Midhowe Broch Midhowe Chambered Cairn Rennibister Ring of Brodgar (Brogar) Skara Brae Stone of Setter Stones of Stenness Taversoe Tuick Unstan Vinquoy Watch Stone Wideford Hill