Ancient church unearthed on remote Scottish island
A group of Scottish boarding school students unearthed what might be a 1,000-year-old Viking-era church on the remote Orkney island of Swona during a service trip. The ruins, long known locally as a "kirk" or church, were confirmed as a place of worship after students excavated the eastern wall and found altar foundations and a step.
The discovery, organized by Gordonstoun school, places the church within the Viking era, likely dating to the 10th or 11th century. Students, who spent a week on the island with no electricity, helped restore an old house and pumped fresh water from a well. The excavation provided a rare chance to witness medieval history up close and could help clarify how Christianity spread in the region.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
