© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Grain Earth House and Grainbank is a pair of Iron Age souterrains located at Hatston in Orkney, Scotland. These underground stone-lined passages are characteristic of structures built in northern Britain during the later Iron Age, typically serving domestic or storage purposes. The two souterrains exploit the local geology of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a mixed sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This bedrock provided suitable material for constructing the stone-built chambers and passages that characterise these monuments.
Souterrains are among Orkney's most distinctive archaeological features, with examples scattered across the islands. Their precise function remains debated by scholars, though evidence suggests they may have been used for storage, refuge, or as integral parts of Iron Age settlements. The presence of two separate examples at this location indicates the significance of Hatston as an archaeological landscape during this period.
The monuments are protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the designation SM90154, ensuring their preservation for future research and study. The site's survival, despite centuries of agricultural use and natural erosion, contributes to understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and building techniques in the northern Scottish islands.
Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90154. View the official record →
Grain Earth House and Grainbank is a pair of Iron Age souterrains located at Hatston in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90154.
Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a two souterrains, hatston. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90154.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pickaquoy,burnt mound & settlement (0.4 km), Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall (1.1 km), Earl's Palace, Kirkwall (1.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Grain Earth House and Grainbank, two souterrains, Hatston stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.