Barrel of Butter
Encyclopedia
The Barrel of Butter is a rock in the Orkney Islands
of the Devonian
period. There is no soil of any significance on it.
Located in Scapa Flow
, between Mainland and Cava
, it has a section permanently above sea level. It is to the north east of Cava, and south of Orphir
. It is also north of Flotta
.
per year, they gained permission from the local laird
to hunt the seal
s on it.
On 21 June 1919, the waters between the Barrel of Butter and Cava became full of scuttled German
ships, including the Bayern
, Markgraf
, Köln, Dresden and König
. Some of these are still popular with divers.
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
Geography and geology
The rock is old red sandstoneOld Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
of the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
period. There is no soil of any significance on it.
Located in Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, between Mainland and Cava
Cava, Orkney
Cava is an uninhabited island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is in extent and rises to above sea level. The literal meaning of the name is 'calf island', a terminology often used to designate a small island near to a larger one...
, it has a section permanently above sea level. It is to the north east of Cava, and south of Orphir
Orphir
Orphir is a parish and settlement in Mainland, Orkney. It is averagely southwest of Kirkwall, and comprehends a seaboard tract of about 7 by 3½ miles , and includes Cava and the Holm of Houton...
. It is also north of Flotta
Flotta
Flotta is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow. The island is known for its large oil terminal and is linked by Orkney Ferries to Houton on the Orkney Mainland and Lyness and Longhope on Hoy....
.
History
The rock gained its strange name, not from its shape, or position, as is often the case, but from the annual rent paid on it, by the residents of Orphir. In return for a barrel of butterButter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
per year, they gained permission from the local laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
to hunt the seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s on it.
On 21 June 1919, the waters between the Barrel of Butter and Cava became full of scuttled German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
ships, including the Bayern
SMS Bayern (1915)
SMS Bayern "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" was the lead ship of the class of battleships in the German Imperial Navy. The vessel was launched in February 1915 and entered service in July 1916, too late to take part in the Battle of Jutland...
, Markgraf
SMS Markgraf
SMS Markgraf"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" was the third battleship of the four-ship . She served in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The battleship was laid down in November 1911 and launched on 4 June 1913...
, Köln, Dresden and König
SMS König
SMS König"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" was the first of four König class dreadnought battleships of the German Imperial Navy during World War I. König was named in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who was the king of Prussia as well as the German Emperor...
. Some of these are still popular with divers.