Although things might be a little different on your visit, you can still enjoy exploring Rennibister Earth House.
Find out more about this historic place below.
Journey inside
Explore Rennibister Earth House with our short video tour.
Rennibister Souterrain (or ‘Earth House’) is a subterranean Iron Age structure that was likely constructed in the 1st millennium BC. Discovered in 1926, the underground chamber was excavated by the Orkney Archaeology Society. It comprises a sloping passage leading to an oval chamber and would once have been part of a larger settlement.
It may have been used primarily for storage but other functions may have included ritual use. Intriguingly, the closing deposit included the mixed remains of up to 18 people, including 12 children.
Explore the history
Despite their name, earth houses were not dwellings, but stone-lined underground passages. They’re also known as souterrains, and are found in Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland and eastern Scotland.
Within Scotland there are distinct regional types. Angus and Perthshire is home to some massive souterrains, averaging 46m2 in area, while those in the Northern Isles – like Rennibister – are significantly smaller, providing just 5m2 of space.
The smaller ones were built earlier, at the end of the first millennium BC, while the larger ones probably date from the first two centuries AD.