Over seventy artifacts from the internationally renowned Burray Hoard will go on display for the first time at the Orkney Museum from Saturday, November 1, thanks to a special loan from the National Museums Scotland. The items form part of an exhibition in the museum’s newly developed Groundwater Galleries, which were made possible by a generous legacy donation from a former Orkney resident keen to support the preservation of the region’s Viking heritage.
The Burray Hoard is the second-largest Viking Age treasure discovered in Orkney, found during peat cutting near Little Wart in 1889 by local man George Petrie. It contains almost two kilograms of silver, mainly comprising complete arm rings and pieces of hacksilver—parts of silver that had been cut or bent as forms of “ring-money.” Overall, there are over 140 items in the assemblage, which dates to around 1000 CE. Coins within the hoard suggest it was buried between approximately 997 and 1010, a period when silver wealth played a key role in trade, tribute, and personal status across the Norse world.
The display of the Burray Hoard objects is part of a wider collaboration between National Museums Scotland and the Orkney Museum. It includes close to one hundred objects that will be loaned to Orkney, including a stunning pair of bronze “tortoise” brooches from a woman’s grave at the Broch of Gurness and a gold ring from the Stenness Hoard, the only known gold hoard ever found in Orkney.
The initiative is part of the National Museums Scotland’s National Strategy, a programme supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. It aims to bring the national collection to communities across Scotland, sharing significant archaeological finds and museum expertise through traveling exhibitions, loans, and educational projects.
Dr. Martin Goldberg, Principal Curator of Medieval Archaeology and History at National Museums Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be loaning part of the Burray Hoard to Orkney Museum, giving visitors the chance to see these remarkable objects near the place where they were discovered. Silver hoards like this one bring us face to face with moments in the past when people’s lives and wealth were in jeopardy. We’re grateful for the support of players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, which allows us to share the National Collection with audiences across the country.”
Dr. Siobhan Cooke-Miller, Archaeology Curator at Orkney Museum, emphasized the local importance of the exhibition: “We are delighted that part of the Burray Hoard will be displayed in Orkney for the first time in over 35 years. We are very grateful to our benefactor, whose generous bequest funded the redevelopment. His express wish was that his legacy donation should be used to support Viking heritage and history in Orkney Museums—evidence of the importance of our Viking and Norse past for the people of and living in Orkney today. This exciting loan is a fitting tribute to him.”
The result is a rare opportunity for Orkney residents and visitors to reconnect with one of the region’s most important archaeological finds. The exhibit is a testament not only to the craftsmanship and artistry of the Vikings in their use of silver but also to the enduring cultural significance of Orkney’s Norse past.
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