Kirkwall - Orkney Museum

The Orkney Museum is housed within Tankerness House, considered one of the most important early townhouses in Scotland. The earliest parts of the building were constructed in the 1530s and served as manses for the cathedral.

Whalebone plaque from the Scar Viking boat burial, almost certainly made in Norway, between 750-850 AD. At the top of the plaque, two inward-looking stylized animal heads have been carved.

In 1985, farmer John Deerness had taken a walk along the beach at Scar, Sanday. He discovered what he thought were human bones sticking out in the sand. When he looked closely, he discovered a small object about the size of a pound coin. His neighbour had thought the object was part of a car battery, but nevertheless John kept it safe.

In 1991, Julie Gibson visited the site and saw rivets in the sand. Julie called in to visit Caroline Deerness, who remembered the object her husband had found and showed it to Julie. Julie identified the find as a lead bullion weight. If the weight found on the beach was associated with the human bones and the rivets – Julie Gibson and Raymond Lamb concluded there could be a Viking boat burial at Scar – a rare find for Scotland… and they were right! The Scar Viking boat burial was excavated in November 1991.