MAESHOWE
A mile or two from Stennis stands the celebrated Tumulus of Maeshowe. This is a conical-shaped mound rising to a height of about 35 feet, and surrounded by a moat. The interior is approached by a long, narrow passage, leading into a central stone chamber about 15 feet square, from which a number of crypts or cells branch off at the sides. On the walls are inscribed a number of runes, of which, as one humourist observed, "several professors have given as many translations, apparently all different." There is certainly considerable diversity of opinion as to the age and origin of the mound, but it seems to be generally accepted that it was originally the chambered tomb of some chieftain, dating from early Celtic times.
A Winding Road in Hoy.
(Pegal Burn.)