Cubbie
Roo Castle |
The name of this island, Wyre, is
derived from its spearhead or javelin shape. In Old Norse: Vigr
meant, "Spearhead” and islands with similar names are found in
Norway and Iceland.
The island of Wyre Lies close to Rousay at
the eastern end of the Eynhallow Sound. The island is fairly
small, being roughly 3.5 kilometers by 1.5 kilometers, and is
largely farmland.
It does however; possess one superb
historical site that is well worth visiting. Kolbein
Hruga, remembered as “Cubbie Roo’ was a
mid-12th century chief and descendant of Earl Paul
I. He was born in
Sunnfjord, Norway and was established by Thorfinn the Mighty
as goding or best man.
The island and its famous castle ruins are mentioned in
the Norse Sagas where they call Kolbein Hruga, the most
haughty of men …who had a good stone castle built there that
was a safe stronghold.
Cubbie Roo is believed to be Scotland's
oldest stone castle dating back to c 1145. The original building
was a simple stone tower roughly 8 meters square with walls
1.7m thick surrounded by a rock-cut ditch 2 meters deep. A
strong stonewall 2 meters thick was built on the inner side of
the ditch, and inside of the wall, a second shallow ditch was
excavated to leave a central platform for the tower. The
buildings surrounding the tower were added at a later
date.
Northwest of the castle is the home farm,
The Bu of Wyre, that was believed to be built on top of the
castle's original farmhouse. The renowned Orcadian
poet, Edwin Muir was born on Wyre or at least spent his early
childhood in the late 1880s living at the Bu. Close to the castle
ruin and farm buildings is a 12th century rectangular roofless
chapel in a burial ground dedicated to either St Mary or St
Peter. For the
most information in one site visit “orkneyisland.com.”
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