COMMUNITY campaigners are on track to reopen one of Scotland’s ancient archaeological sites to the public, after securing National Lottery support.
Located at the top of South Ronaldsay cliffs, the Tomb of the Eagles is a stone age sites and a key feature of Orkney’s ancient archaeology.
It was forced to close to visitors as a result of the pandemic and subsequent retirement of the owners. Local campaigners have been working with the support of the family that owns the site, to take it into community ownership and reopen it to visitors.
Now they have secured £101,607 support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The news comes just a few weeks after South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust announced they had secured Scottish Land Fund investment.
'Final piece to the puzzle'
The Tomb of the Eagles, or Isbister Chambered Cairn, is a Neolithic chambered tomb located on a cliff edge at Isbister on South Ronaldsay.
The community are seeking to "improve the visitor centre, renovate the museum displays, shop and toilet facilities, and provide a snack and hot drinks service" as well as upgrade the pathways around the site.
The site has been in the care of and for many years was operated by a local family, the Simisons. They have worked with and supported the South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust to deliver the ambition of the community reopening Tomb of the Eagles.
Freda Norquay of the Simison Partnership, the current owners of the site, said: “We are so pleased that the Tomb will now reopen and forge its future under community ownership and feel that this is a fitting reflection of the Simison legacy. It is a way forward that we fully support, and we believe that our parents, Ronnie and Morgan Simison would have endorsed."
Kathleen MacLeod, also from the Simison Partnership, added: “We can’t thank people like Joe Horrocks, Steve Sankey and Cameron Taylor enough for the hours that they have put in on this project, and all the support shown from the local community. The National Lottery Heritage Fund award is the icing on the cake, and it is wonderful that the Tomb will now reopen after all these years.”
Ruth Owen, chair of the South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust, said: “We are delighted at the award of just over £100,000 to the Development Trust for the purposes of reopening the Tomb of the Eagles. Not only does this provide essential funding that will bridge the final budget gap required to acquire the site, but importantly it provides the necessary match funding to set up staffing next year, for our first full season.
“This really is the final piece of the funding jigsaw to acquire and re-establish the site, and we can now say with confidence that the Tomb of the Eagles will reopen to the public. We would like to thank the National Lottery players and indeed all our funding partners for giving the community this opportunity.”
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland, said: “Our support will enable community ownership and management of the Tomb of the Eagles, meaning locals and visitors from across the world can once more experience an important part of Orkney’s incredible heritage while directly benefitting the local community.
“It is a wonderful new chapter for a very precious place which has been part of South Ronaldsay’s story for 5000 years.”
