Viking burials found in Scotland
This list of burials is currently a work in progress. More information will be added over time but it is hoped that even the meagre information supplied here will be of some use. Any list of Viking burials is going to be open to discussion. Many of these burials were discovered in the 18th and 19th centuries, long before modern archaeological practices came into use.
Our map of Viking Burials in Britain is derived from the following maps: [Bersu & Wilson 1966]:p.xii; [Wilson 1976:p.394]; [Graham-Campbell 1994]:p.p.134 & 153; [Graham-Campbell & Batey 1998]:p.115 & p.130; [Graham-Campbell 2001]:p.107; [Redknap 2000]:p.95; [Richards 2004]:p.191; [Redmond 2007]:p.70, p.77, p.87, p.93, p.107, p.117; [Harrison & Ó Floinn 2014]:p.225
We have recently discovered Angela Redmond's book, 'Viking Burial in the North of England' [Redmond 2007]. This gives a very good overview of of burials from the British Isles and is well worth acquiring if you are interested in this subject.
Status
The reliability of pagan graves varies. The 'Status' rating gives an indication of the current thinking relating to the finds reliability.
Accepted (A)
There is a good contemporary archaeological record of the find. Including a diagram of the grave and finds, etc.
Possible (P)
The contemporary archaeological record of the find is not as good but the grave goods would tend to indicate a pagan grave. The grave may be located in a mound or Church yard.
Discredited (D)
The argument in favour of this being a Viking grave has now been discredited although it has previously been published as such in the past. These are most probably just stray finds.
Contents
- 1 Index by County
- 2 List by Find Date
- 2.1 Scotland, Argyll and Bute: Ardnamurchan
- 2.2 Scotland, Sutherland: Durness, Balnakeil
- 2.3 Scotland, Orkney, Sanday: Scar
- 2.4 Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Isle of Lewis: Uig, Cnip
- 2.5 Scotland, Orkney, Westness: Rousay
- 2.6 Scotland, Shetland, St. Ninian's Isle
- 2.7 Scotland, Orkney, Mainland: Broch of Gurness
- 2.8 Scotland, Highland, Isle of Skye: Skeabost, Tote
- 2.9 Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Oronsay: Carn a' Bharraich
- 2.10 Scotland, Caithness: Reay
- 2.11 Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Colonsay: Kiloran Bay
- 2.12 Scotland, Highland, Eigg: Kildonan
- 2.13 Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Islay: Ballinaby
- 2.14 Scotland, Orkney, Westray: Pierowall
- 3 References
Index by County
Argyll
|
Lewis
|
Skye
|
List by Find Date
Scotland, Argyll and Bute: Ardnamurchan
Also known as Swordle Bay, Ardnamurchan
- Viking boat burial excavated in 2011
- Late 9th/early 10th century AD
- Grave goods:
- Male sketeton
- Axe with traces of wooden handle
- Sword of type K or P, bone / antler or ivory grip. Copper alloy and silver decoration on hilt fittings
- Spear. Iron type E.
- Shield boss.
- Knife
- Saucepan/ladle with a 1m long handle.
- Hammer head
- Tongs
- Ring Pin. Copper alloy.
- Wetstone. Norwegian schist.
- Drinking horn. Copper alloy rim with a possible iron base?
- Publications-
Scotland, Sutherland: Durness, Balnakeil
- Viking child burial (aged 8 to 13) found in 1991
- ?AD
- Grave goods:
- Sword, shield, spear, ringed pin, beads, strap end
- Publications-
Scotland, Orkney, Sanday: Scar
- Viking boat burial including a man, woman and child found in 1985
- 875-950AD
- Grave goods-
- sword, comb, playing pieces, arrows with quiver remains, whale bone plaque, equal armed brooches, shears, cooking spit
- Publications-
Scotland, Outer Hebrides, Isle of Lewis: Uig, Cnip
Also known as Kneep
- Viking woman burial found in 1979
- ?AD
- Grave goods:
- --
- Publications-
Scotland, Orkney, Westness: Rousay
- excavated between 1968 and 1984
- AD
- Grave goods-
- --
Publications-
Scotland, Shetland, St. Ninian's Isle
- excavated in 1958
- Viking babies
- Grave goods-
- Hoard of Pictish silver bowls, cups and jewellery found in a box. Dated to just prior to 800AD.[OLIVER 2012:p.187]
Publications-
Scotland, Orkney, Mainland: Broch of Gurness
- excavated in 1932
- AD
- Grave goods-
- --
Publications-
Scotland, Highland, Isle of Skye: Skeabost, Tote
- Cairn containing a cremated? male. Excavated in 1922?
- ?AD
- Grave goods:
- Axe head and part of the wooden shaft; hone; copper alloy pin; ivory bead; possible shield fragments of iron and wood.
- Publications-
Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Oronsay: Carn a' Bharraich
- 3 burials. 2 found in April 1891 and 1 in 1913
- AD
- Grave goods:
- --
- Publications-
- Grieve, Symington (1924) 'Note upon Carn nan Bharraich, or Cairn of the Men of Barra, a Burial Mound of the Viking Time on the Island of Oronsay, Argyllshire, with an outline of the Political History of the Western Isles during the latter half of the Ninth Century'. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 48 (pp 272-91) (Available Online)
- Anderson, Joseph (1907) 'Notice of Bronze Brooches and Personal Ornaments from a Ship-burial of the Viking time in Oronsay, and other Bronze Ornaments from Colonsay. Presented to the National Musem by the Right Hon. Lord Strathcona and Mount-Royal, G.C.M.G. With Description, from Notes by the late William Galloway, of a ship-burial of the Viking time at Kiloran Bay, Colonsay' . Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 41 (pp 437-50) (Available Online)
Scotland, Caithness: Reay
- excavated in 1912 / 1920?
- AD
- Grave goods-
- Axe
- Shield Boss
- Knife
- + more
Publications-
Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Colonsay: Kiloran Bay
- excavated in 1882
- AD
- Grave goods-
- --
Publications-
- Anderson, Joseph (1907) 'Notice of Bronze Brooches and Personal Ornaments from a Ship-burial of the Viking time in Oronsay, and other Bronze Ornaments from Colonsay. Presented to the National Musem by the Right Hon. Lord Strathcona and Mount-Royal, G.C.M.G. With Description, from Notes by the late William Galloway, of a ship-burial of the Viking time at Kiloran Bay, Colonsay' . Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 41 (pp 437-50) (Available Online)
Scotland, Highland, Eigg: Kildonan
Grave 1 1830
- Status- Accepted
- Find date- excavated in 1830
- Bodies- Male
- Dated to- C9th
- Museum- National Museum of Scotland
- Bibliography-
- Grave goods Male
- Sword - Petersen type D
- Baldric - copper-alloy. Fastener and thin plates possibly from a baldric
- Small anvil - copper-alloy. Or possible foot of bronze vessel
Grave 2 1875
- Status- Accepted
- Find date- excavated in 1875
- Bodies- Male
- Dated to- C9th
- Museum- National Museum of Scotland
- Bibliography-
- Grave goods Male
- Axe
- Spearhead - only socket remains with part of the wooden shaft
- Knife - iron. L:21cm W:3.5cm. Remains of wooden handle and wooden sheath?
- Penannular brooch - copper-alloy
- Buckle
- Hone
- Cloth - black wool & a little black fur
- Sickle
- Amber bead - 2cm
- Amber bead - 4cm with large hole
- bead or spindle whorl - grey rock 2cm
Grave 3 1875
- Status- Accepted
- Find date- excavated in 1875
- Bodies- Male
- Dated to- c.875-925
- Museum- National Museum of Scotland
- Bibliography-
- Grave goods Male
- Sword- 12 fragments
- Penannular brooch - copper-alloy
- Buckle and strap plate - copper-alloy
- 2 jet beads
- Hone - slate
Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Islay: Ballinaby
Grave 1772
- Status- Possible
- Find date- excavated in 1772
- Bodies- Male
- Dated to- ?
- Museum-
- Grave goods Male
- Sword - Petersen type H
Grave 1778
- Status- Possible
- Find date-
- Bodies- Female
- Dated to- ?
- Museum-
- Publications-
- Anderson, Joeseph (1880) 'Notes on the Contents of two Viking Graves in Islay, Discovered by William Campbell, Esq., of Ballinaby; with Notices of the Burial Customs of the Norse Sea-Kings, as recorded in the Sagas and Illustrated by their Grave Mounds in Norway and in Scotland'.pp.51-89. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.14
- Grave goods Female
- Oval brooch (Pair)-
Grave 1878
- Status- Accepted
- Find date- excavated in August 1878.
- Bodies- Double burial? Male & Female
- Dated to- ?
- Museum-
- Publications-
- Anderson, Joeseph (1880) 'Notes on the Contents of two Viking Graves in Islay, Discovered by William Campbell, Esq., of Ballinaby; with Notices of the Burial Customs of the Norse Sea-Kings, as recorded in the Sagas and Illustrated by their Grave Mounds in Norway and in Scotland'.pp.51-89. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.14
- Grave goods Male
- Sword - Peteren type B
- Axe 1 - Wheeler type III
- Axe 2 - Wheeler type III
- Spear - Petersen type , with a possible iron ferrule
- Shield boss - type , with a copper-alloy handle
- Drinking horn terminal (copper-alloy).
- Hammer (iron); forge tongs (iron); adze (iron); cauldron (iron)
- Grave goods Female
- 2 Oval broochs - Petersen type
- Pin (silver); Flat chain of four-stranded wire (silver)
- 12 beads
- possible fragment of a Drinking horn rim (copper-alloy)
- 4 round plates (copper-alloy); ladle (copper-alloy); glass linen smoother; Teeth from a heckle (iron); needle-case (copper-alloy);
Grave 1932
- Status- Accepted
- Find date- excavated in 1932
- Bodies- Male
- Dated to- ?
- Museum-
- Publications-
- Grave goods Male
- Sword - Petersen type Q
- Axe
- sheild
- knife
- ring-headed pin
- buckle
Scotland, Orkney, Westray: Pierowall
- finds from 1693, 1788, 1839, 1841, 1855, 1863
- AD
- Grave goods-
- --
Publications-
Langhills, Caithness
References
- Graham-Campbell & Batey 1998
- Harris, Cobb, Gray & Richardson 2011
- Low N.D.
- Owen & Dalland 1999
- Welander, Batey & Cowie 1987
- Oliver 2012
- Lethbridge 1920
- Grieve 1924
- Curle 1924
- Anderson 1907
- McNeill 1891
- Grieg 1940
- Macpherson 1878
- Żabiński 2007
- National Museum of Scotland
- Scran
- Anderson 1880
- Edwards 1934
- Redmond 2007
- Bersu & Wilson 1966
- Graham-Campbell 1994
- Graham-Campbell 2001
- Harrison & Ó Floinn 2014
- Redknap 2000
- Richards 2004
- Found in Britain
- Burials
- Sites