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Stackel Brae is a medieval castle located on Eday in Orkney, Scotland. The monument comprises the castle structure and an associated maltbarn, reflecting the agricultural and defensive functions of a substantial landholding during the medieval period. Built upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone dating from the Middle Devonian epoch, the site's geological foundation consists of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This underlying geology is characteristic of Orkney's landscape and would have influenced both construction methods and the durability of the structures.
The presence of a maltbarn alongside the castle indicates significant grain processing activity, suggesting that Stackel Brae served as more than a purely military installation. Such facilities were essential to the economic life of medieval Orkney, where barley production and malt production for brewing represented important local industries. The combination of defensive and agricultural architecture demonstrates the integrated nature of medieval estate management.
Stackel Brae is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduled monument reference SM5944, ensuring its preservation as a significant record of medieval Orkney settlement, fortification and land use.
Stackel Brae,castle,Maltbarn,Eday is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5944. View the official record →
Stackel Brae is a medieval castle located on Eday in Orkney, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5944.
Stackel Brae,castle,Maltbarn,Eday dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle,maltbarn,eday. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Stackel Brae,castle,Maltbarn,Eday 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 SM5944.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Southside,standing stone 130m SW of (0.5 km), Greentoft, burnt mound 350m SSW of, Eday (1.1 km), The Manse, chambered cairn and church 330m WNW of, Eday (3.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stackel Brae,castle,Maltbarn,Eday'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.
Stackel Brae,castle,Maltbarn,Eday stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.