Trust’s £357k award sees ‘Tomb of the Eagles’ purchase move a step closer

Plans to re-open the Isbister chambered cairn – the Tomb of the Eagles – took a step closer this week with the Scottish Land Fund awarding £357,705 to the South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust.

The cash will go towards the trust’s purchase of the Neolithic cairn in South Ronaldsay, the surrounding land and the Tomb of the Eagles visitor centre.

They are now waiting to see whether the National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund will fund the remaining 20 per cent needed to complete their plan to buy and re-open the site.

For over 20 years, the Isbister cairn was a successful family-run visitor attraction and an important Orkney tourist attraction.

After the Covid-19 pandemic saw the site close to visitors in 2020, it did not reopen and the owners decided to sell. With their full support, and that of the Scottish Land Fund, the trust is looking to buy the assets and redevelop the site using sustainable tourism principles.

A crowdfunder to reopen the site in late summer 2025, launched on March 1, has surpassed its £20,000 goal and, at the time of writing, stands at £25,375, with seven days to go. The trust has added a £30,000 stretch goal to the campaign. If successful this will allow 3d prints of the cairn’s finds and replicas of the axes and round-bottomed pottery found at the site.

The crowdfunder runs until April 12. To make a donation, or for more details, see
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tomb-of-the-eagles