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The Howie is a prehistoric mound situated 300 metres south-east of Newbanks in the parish of Deerness, Orkney. The monument stands on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a mixed sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposited during the Middle Devonian period. This underlying geology of local stone would have provided readily available building material for the monument's construction and maintenance across centuries of use.
The Howie occupies a strategic location within Orkney's archaeological landscape, where numerous monuments from the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods cluster across the islands. Mounds of this type frequently served multiple functions over time, including ceremonial, burial and domestic purposes, though the specific history of this particular site remains to be fully documented through archaeological investigation.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM1283, recognising its significance within Scotland's archaeological heritage. The site's preservation ensures that future study may contribute to broader understanding of prehistoric settlement and ritual practice across Orkney's distinctive island environment.
The Howie,mound 300m SE of Newbanks,Deerness is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1283. View the official record →
The Howie is a prehistoric mound situated 300 metres south-east of Newbanks in the parish of Deerness, Orkney. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1283.
The Howie,mound 300m SE of Newbanks,Deerness 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 SM1283.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Brough of Deerness, chapel and settlement (3.3 km), Eves Howe,broch 640m N of Braebuster (4 km), Dingy's Howe,broch,Upper Sanday (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The Howie,mound 300m SE of Newbanks,Deerness'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.
The Howie,mound 300m SE of Newbanks,Deerness stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.