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St. Ninian's Isle

The St. Ninian’s Isle Treasure is a hoard of silverware discovered in St. Ninian’s Kirk.

The hoard was found on the 4th of July 1958 in a larch box under a cross-inscribed stone slab in the floor of the church. It has been suggested that the silver was hidden for safekeeping upon the approach of Norse raiders at the end of the 8th century or beginning of the 9th century.

The hoard contained Pictish silver penannular brooches, bowls and other artefacts including sword decorations. The brooch pictured above was found to have been only 40% pure silver, indicating that it was made from heavily diluted silver possibly as a result of recycling. One of the bowls can be seen in the top left of the photo below.

A probably 8th century Pictish brooch can be seen labelled “4” in the photo below (along with brooches from Aldclune labelled “5” and Rogart labelled “6” dating to a similar period).

The silverware was donated to the then National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, now the National Museums of Scotland, in 1965-6, and replicas are housed in the Shetland Museum.

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Where is St. Ninian's Isle?

St. Ninian's Isle is in the parish of Dunrossness and the county of Shetland.

Grid reference: HU 3685 2090

Lat / long: 59.971415, -1.341628

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for St. Ninian's Isle

Shetland – Mainland South (Lerwick, Sumburgh & Fair Isle)
OS Explorer map 466


Directions to St. Ninian's Isle

Enter a starting point

Weather at St. Ninian's Isle

7°C
max 7°C / min 7°C
31km/h W
1017mb
100%
20%
04:32 19:37

Few clouds
Weather observed at Sandwick at 20:09

Alternative names for St. Ninian's Isle

St. Ninian's Isle Treasure

References (websites)

Canmore

Pictish sites near St. Ninian's Isle

Pictish sites

  • Gaulcrosshoard (268.93 km)
  • Burgheadfort (279.3 km)
  • Parkhillsilver chain (309.21 km)
  • Niggsilver chain (320.56 km)
  • Torveansilver chain (322.53 km)
  • Dunnicaerfort (339.02 km)
  • Norrie's Lawhoard (422.94 km)
  • Traprain Lawsilver chain (451.64 km)
  • Haddingtonsilver chain (454.07 km)
  • Hoardweelsilver chain (463.63 km)
more Pictish sites....

Pictish stones

  • Breck of Hillwell Class I symbol stone (6.3 km)
  • Mail Class I symbol stone (9.49 km)
  • Sumburgh Class I carvings (10.46 km)
  • Papil Stone Class III cross slab (10.64 km)
  • Lerwick Class I symbol stone (22.48 km)
  • Bressay Stone Class III cross slab (26.24 km)
  • Eswick Class I carving (34.96 km)
  • Sandness Class I symbol stone (40.74 km)
  • Uyea Class I symbol stone (81.57 km)
  • Yell Class I symbol stone (84.95 km)
more Pictish stones....

Pictish placenames

  • Pittulie(256.79 km)
  • Pitsligo(257.01 km)
  • Aberdour(260.34 km)
  • Aberscross(269.62 km)
  • Pitgrudy(275.51 km)
  • Aberchirder(277.52 km)
  • Pitlurg(289.3 km)
  • Pitmedden(296.16 km)
  • Aberlour(297.21 km)
  • Pitcaple(300.82 km)
more Pictish placenames....

Historic sites near St. Ninian's Isle

Ancient sites

  • Old Scatnessbroch (10.46 km)
  • Green Hillbroch, cists (161.1 km)
  • Green Hill of Scartonbroch (165.15 km)
  • Outer Green Hillbroch (165.24 km)
  • Burrowston (possible)broch (165.61 km)
  • Green Hillbroch (165.85 km)
  • Green Hill of Hestigeobroch (165.97 km)
  • The Skeobroch (169.93 km)
  • Duncansby Head (possible) (site of)broch (174.95 km)
  • Green Hillbroch (177.98 km)
more ancient sites....

Castles

  • Scalloway Castle(18.64 km)
  • Castle Holm(26.76 km)
  • Muness Castle(84.35 km)
  • Carrick House(114.12 km)
  • Noltland Castle(117.48 km)
  • Sealskerry Bay Castle (site of)(121.25 km)
  • Castle Of Stackel Brae(121.3 km)
  • Cubbie Roo's Castle(131.37 km)
  • Westness Castle(133.46 km)
  • Langskaill Castle(134.92 km)
more castles....
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Accommodation near St. Ninian's Isle

Lerwick SYHA Hostel
hostelLerwick
22.8km away
Kveldsro House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barLerwick
23.0km away
Hurdiback Backpackers Hostel
hostelPapa Stour
43.7km away
St Magnus Bay Hotel
hotelHillswick
56.9km away
Saxa Vord Hostel
hostel, restaurant, barUnst
96.4km away
Ayre's Rock Hostel (Sanday SYHA Hostel)
hostel, campsiteSanday
106.0km away
Papay Youth Hostel
hostelPapa Westray
110.8km away
Eday SYHA Hostel
hostelEday
114.6km away
Lav rockha Guest House
hotelKirkwall
142.6km away
Orcades Hostel
hostelKirkwall
143.0km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near St. Ninian's Isle

Kveldsro House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barLerwick
23.0km away
Saxa Vord Hostel
hostel, restaurant, barUnst
96.4km away
The Storehouse
caféJohn O'Groats
176.2km away
Ackergill Tower
hotel, restaurant, barWick
193.3km away
Holborn Hotel
hotel, barThurso
195.4km away
Red Pepper Restaurant
restaurantThurso
195.4km away
Royal Hotel Thurso
hotel, restaurant, barThurso
195.4km away
Rockpool Café
caféCullen
266.6km away
Waterside Hotel
hotel, restaurant, spaPeterhead
273.6km away
Castle of Park
bed and breakfast, caféCornhill
273.9km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Baby squirrels at Callendar House
Kilspindie Castle and Aberlady Bay nature reserve
Two castles and a country house in East Lothian
Two lesser-visited castles in Perthshire
Gullane beach, and castles on the way home
A pair of educational castles in Edinburgh
Published on the 20th of April 2015 at 10:43 am. Updated on the 21st of February 2018 at 7:02 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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