Tofts Ness
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 Cairns on Tofts Ness peninsula, Sanday | |
 Interactive map of Tofts Ness | |
| Location | Sanday, Orkney |
|---|---|
| Type | Prehistoric settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age |
| Reference no. | SM5080 |
Tofts Ness is a peninsula located on the north-east tip of the island of Sanday in Orkney, Scotland. It encompasses a prehistoric site which shows evidence of human occupation beginning in the late Neolithic Age and continuing through the Iron Age. The scheduled monument consists of mounds, cairns, enclosures, ancient soils and structural remains. Tofts Ness is also the location of multiple shipwrecks.
Tofts Ness is situated on a peninsula at the north-east end of the island of Sanday, in Orkney, Scotland. The ancient site consists of a vast complex of prehistoric earthen banks, cairns, enclosures, mounds and structural remains. There are over 300 mounds and cairns; Many of the mounds are probably burial monuments. Of the larger mounds, one is possibly a broch.[1][2]
Excavation and geophysical survey work conducted at the site in the 1980s revealed that Tofts Ness was originally a settlement, probably a farm and/or a kelp working complex. There were two primary phases of occupation at Tofts Ness, the first dating from the Neolithic to the early Bronze Age, and the second from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. During excavation, a round house was uncovered, along with a connecting structure, both surrounded by soil showing evidence of cultivation.[2][3]
At the shoreline of Tofts Ness, two unroofed stone buildings and two enclosures have been discovered, visible on aerial photography.[note 1] The first unroofed building measures about 10m by 5m, and is divided into three compartments. The second unroofed building adjoins the first structure and is similar in size and number of compartments.[4] Both enclosures are aligned with the shoreline and are divided internally by walls or earthen banks. Tofts Ness was first scheduled as a monument by Historic Environment Scotland in 1991. The original protected area has been enlarged to cover additional important remains.[5][6]