Harray
Encyclopedia
Harray is a former parish on Mainland, Orkney, now merged with Birsay
. It has the unique distinction of being the only landlocked parish on the islands, however it is next to the freshwater Loch of Harray
.
Harray has many mounds or howes from the Old Norse
word Haugr meaning mound or hill. Excavations have revealed burial cist in the largest mound as well as a Bronze Age
building nearby.
Harray was merged with Birsay to form a united parish in the north west of Mainland. It extends southward from the south east of Birsay Parish, and is about six miles by four in extent. It is mostly flat and swampy.
Birsay
Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle...
. It has the unique distinction of being the only landlocked parish on the islands, however it is next to the freshwater Loch of Harray
Loch of Stenness
The Loch of Stenness together with the Loch of Harray are the two largest freshwater lochs of Mainland, Orkney. In Old Norse their names are Steinnesvatn and Heraðvatn...
.
Harray has many mounds or howes from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word Haugr meaning mound or hill. Excavations have revealed burial cist in the largest mound as well as a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
building nearby.
Harray was merged with Birsay to form a united parish in the north west of Mainland. It extends southward from the south east of Birsay Parish, and is about six miles by four in extent. It is mostly flat and swampy.