Region : Orkney Island : Hoy Town or village : Rackwick Grid Reference : HY 243 004 Period : 3rd millennium BC Dwarfie Stane ROCK-CUT TOMB

The only chambered tomb known on the island of Hoy (Orkney) and the only rock-cut one in the British Isles. It consists of a huge block of red sandstone, 8.6long, with a short passage on the west side leading into a square chamber with a cell on either side. The block's breadth varies from 3.9m to 4.4m and its height from 1m to 2m. The boulder outside the entrance is the original blocking stone. The marks of the stone tools used for hollowing the block are still visible inside the tomb. Inside and outside the tomb are many later inscriptions. The earliest of them is 'H. Ross 1735'. Another one says, in beautiful Persian calligraphy, 'I have sat two nights and so learnt patience': it was inscibed in 1850 by Major W. Mouncey, who also carved his name backwards in Latin. He was a British spy and spent some time camped by the tomb. In his novel The Pirate, Sir Walter Scott wrote: "This extraordinary dwelling, which Trolld, a dwarf famous in the northern Sagas, is said to have framed for his own favourite residence". In care of Historic Scotland

Miscellaneous sites ------------------ Achavanich Dwarfie Stane Liddle Stanydale Steinacleit 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