Wednesday on Rousay - Caz and I took the the ferry boat ride to the island of Rousay. Our sites included the Blackhammer Cairn, Taversoe Tuick, and the Midhowe Broch.We enjoyed seal watching on the cliffs and relaxing until it was time to catch the ferry back to the Mainland of Orkney.
The Blackhammer Cairn is thought to date from around 3,000 BC, the structure is a typical stalled cairn, with an interior divided into seven compartments by pairs of upright stone slabs.
It was quite and experience to be standing in a tomb from so long ago. My mind would wander back in time trying to visualize what life would have been like for the Orcadians of this period.
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Taversoe Tuick Cairn 
is a chambered cairn built into the hillside on the south side of Rousay, overlooking Wyre Sound.
Dating from around 3,000 BC. This cairn is a two-story structure, with one chamber set on top of the other.
This was an interesting cairn with two entrances. I climbed around like a little kid and enjoyed every bit of it.
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Midhow Broch was probably my favorite of all the sites in Orkney
. Constructed and used some time between 200BC and 200AD, at first glance the Midhowe broch appears to have been built with defence in mind.Standing on a promontory formed by two geos, the broch is protected on one side by the sea and on the landward side by a stone rampart and ditch. This massive rampart is built in an arc between the two geos and effectively cuts off access from the land.
Among the items uncovered were the remains of a bronze ladle and some shards of pottery - items that had a definite Roman origin. Because Orkney was well away from the areas of Roman control, they must either have been acquired as gifts or through trading or raiding excursions south.
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