Sandwick ( non, Sandvík;Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print) nrn, Sandvik) is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

on the west coast of

Mainland, Orkney The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections. Seventy-five per cent of ...

, Scotland,Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone north of

Stromness Stromness (, non, Straumnes; nrn, Stromnes) is the second-most populous town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the southwestern part of Mainland Orkney. It is a burgh with a parish around the outside with the town of Stromness as its capital. E ...

. The parish's name derives from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

Sandvík meaning "Sand Bay". The coast, except at the small sandy bay (whence the parish's name) consists of cavernous cliffs, from 100 to 200 ft, and includes a lofty

natural arch A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion f ...

called the hole of Rowe, and is much flanked by insulated pillar-rocks. The interior is much diversified, and comprises both a large aggregate of flat arable land, and a considerable extent of hilly ground, partly more than 300 ft high. The chief residence is

Skaill House Skaill House is a historic manor house in Sandwick parish on Mainland, the largest of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The house overlooks the neolithic site, Skara Brae, and the Bay of Skaill. In 1977, the house was included in the List of Scott ...

,Irvine, James M. ''The Breckness Estate'' (Ashtead, 2009) Published by James M. Irvine and chief antiquities include numerous tumuli, a vitrified cairn, a remarkable

cromlech A cromlech (sometimes also spelled "cromleh" or "cromlêh"; cf Welsh ''crom'', "bent"; ''llech'', "slate") is a megalithic construction made of large stone blocks. The word applies to two different megalithic forms in English, the first being an ...

, a remnant of a very large stone circle, five Norse forts, and the ruins of Sunsgar castle. Notably,

Skara Brae Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. Consisting of ten clustered houses, made of flagstones, in earthen dams t ...

and Yesnaby are in this parish. Sandwick is the biggest parish in Orkney. Farming plays a large role in the parish. Many of Orkney's biggest and most successful farms are in the parish of Sandwick, where the land is very green and fertile. Sandwick only has two dairy farms left; in the 1970s there were over 25 in the parish. All other farms are mixed beef arable. The small township of Quoyloo is in Sandwick and has a shop, general store, post office, and a garage run by Isbister Brothers Ltd, founded in the parish in 1929.

St Peter's Kirk

St Peter's Kirk (also known as Skaill Kirk) is a rare surviving example of an unaltered

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

Parish Kirk of 1836. Designated a Category A

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Historic Environment Scotland Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...

, the current kirk is built partly on the foundations of its predecessor built in 1670. The dedication to

St Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...

has probably been given to all previous chapels on the site. Situated on an exposed site near the Bay of Skaill, it is a large

harl Harling is a rough-cast wall finish consisting of lime and aggregate, known for its rough texture. Many castles and other buildings in Scotland and Ulster have walls finished with harling. It is also used on contemporary buildings, where it pr ...

ed church, with two tall windows in the centre, a

bellcote A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...

and a slate roof; the interior evokes the experience of Presbyterian worship in the 19th century when over 500 people attended the church. It was acquired by the Scottish Redundant Churches Trust in 1998 and restored between 2002 and 2003. It is widely used for funerals and weddings by the people of the parish, although it has no electricity or heating installed.

References

Villages on Mainland, Orkney Parishes of Orkney Church of Scotland churches in Scotland Orkneyinga saga places Tumuli in Scotland Natural arches of Scotland {{orkney-geo-stub