Rousay one of the larger islands, separated on the north east from the mainland by Eynhallow Sound, is rich in antiquities, with three major structures, Midhowe Cairn (2000 1800 B.C.) Blackhammer Cairn and Knowe of Yarso.
Midhowe, described as a “great ship of death", encloses an elongated chamber 75 ft long divided by pairs of transverse upright stone slabs into twelve compartments, the others are similar but smaller. Taversoe Tuick (1800 B.C.) is a remarkable two-storeyed sepulchre, with a miniature votive chamber of similar design near its entrance.
- Rousay Geolocation Latitude 59.1495° N Longitude -3.0202° W
- Rousay Postcode KW17
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- Rousay Tracks & Routes
The Iron Age is also represented here in the Midhowe Broch (100 B.C - A.D. 200), the central one of three brochs and similar to the Broch of Gurness at Evie on the Mainland.
Rousay is unusually hilly for Orkney. Blotchniefold rising to 821 ft, and there are fine cliffwalks on the west and north possibly the most spectacular sight being Scabra Head.
There is good farming, and a crab-processing factory has been established.
