Volunteer group formed to look at future of Tomb of the Eagles

A volunteer group formed at a public meeting this week(13 December 2023) will be taking forward further discussions and exploring feasibility work on the future of the Tomb of the Eagles site in South Ronaldsay.

One of Orkney’s most important archaeological sites, the Tomb of the Eagles was discovered by chance by local farmer Ronnie Simison in the 1950s. It revealed an amazing collection of human remains and artefacts, placed there some 5,000 years ago and became a privately-operated visitor attraction for several decades.

It was forced to close in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has not reopened since.

Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Voluntary Action Orkney are keen to work with the community to find solutions to help re-open and run the facility – and called last night’s meeting to discuss options.

Presentations by Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO), Orkney Islands Council and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, covering the background and support options such as the Scottish Land Fund took place, before questions were asked by members of the public in attendance.
 
David Campbell, from VAO, who chaired the meeting, said:
 
“Last night was a great success welcoming around 40 people, which demonstrates the local interest in the Tomb of the Eagles site. The format of the meeting was to provide a background on the asset, the position of the current owners, the challenges, the opportunities, and the potential funding opportunities.
 
“A number of members of the public volunteered to form a group which, with the support of the partners involved tonight, can look to take the next steps on bringing this site into community ownership, should that be a viable option.
 
“The volunteers will, in the next 2-3 weeks, work on a stage 1 application for a feasibility study with no obligation. That study would cover a range of items including business planning, community engagement required, the architecture and archaeology of the site, and tourism opportunities. The plan would be to create a very comprehensive feasibility report before any next steps are decided upon.
 
“I felt very positive following the meeting, particularly with the turn out, the level of engagement from those in attendance, and that there is a commitment from the local community to looking at these next stages.”