Here we are in day three at the Knowe of Swandro and it’s another glorious day, dry and sunny and hardly a cloud in the sky. It’s been another day of back breaking work for everyone on site, gradually removing the storm beach down to the protective membrane.
It’s only day three but we’ve already had two tour parties around to visit us: on Monday there was a group from the Archaeological Institute of America led by Dr. Val Turner, the Shetland County Archaeologist, and today we had a group from local company Orkney Archaeology Tours led by Dr Dave Lawrence.
Site director Steve was up and about on his new metal hips, giving them a site tour. Dr Dave was very keen to see how the tomb has survived over the winter, since he’s an osteoarchaeologist In fact his speciality is the Orcadian Neolithic, having done his PhD research on Isbister tomb in South Ronaldsay. He’s hopeful (as we all are) that we can raise the funds necessary to excavate the chambered tomb here at Swandro and that it will be undisturbed and complete with burials when we get to it – and that we get to it before the Atlantic takes it anyway.
The group today were also treated to a tour on the beach from the co-director Julie, you can see the bonny view we have from site, it’s a wonder anything ever gets done.