Sandwick (;Pedersen, Roy (January 1992) ''Orkneyjar ok Katanes'' (map, Inverness, Nevis Print) ) is a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
on the west coast of
Mainland, Orkney
The Mainland, also known as 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 Orkney's popu ...
, Scotland,Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone north of
Stromness
Stromness (, ; ) 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.
Etymology
The name "Stromnes ...
.
The parish's name derives from the
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...
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, Cliffed coast, coastal cliffs, Fin (geology), fins or Stack ...
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,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 a ...
, 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 in the parish of Sandwick, Orkney, Sandwick, on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney, Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. It consiste ...
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.
The Sandwick Community Association run the Sandwick hall on behalf of the parish.
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 (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
Parish Kirk of 1836. Designated a Category A
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
by
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) () 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 merger of government agency Historic Sc ...
, the current kirk is built partly on the foundations of its predecessor built in 1670. The dedication to
St Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...
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 roughcast, 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, w ...
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.