The House

History

The name ‘Skaill’ is the Old Norse for hall and most of the farmsteads north and south of the Bay of Skaill have Norse names, suggesting that the area has been continuously farmed for at least a thousand years. The southern wing of the house stands on an early Norse burial ground. The remains of a broch and another Iron Age building can still be seen on the shoreline of the Bay, and several Bronze Age burial mounds have been found closer to Skaill House.

A simple mansion house was built for Bishop George Graham in the 1620’s. This has been added to by successive Laird’s over the centuries culminating in the addition of the north tower and wing which gives the house its characteristic profile which you see today. After 3 years of careful restoration work the house was open to the public in 1997. The house is a family home presented as it was in the 1950’s. Highlights in the house include Bishop Graham’s bedroom, Captain Cook’s dinner service, paintings by the acclaimed Orkney artist Stanley Cursiter and many other items collected during the lives of the 12 Laird’s of Skaill.

Records suggest that there was a modest farmstead on the site which was part of the estate of Earl Robert Stewart during the late sixteenth century. After the trial of his notorious son, Patrick Stewart in 1614, the Earldom was broken up and the estate came under the control of Bishop Graham.

Bishop Graham was a genial man and was married to the niece of the Admirable Crichton and had a large family of 9 children. He was generous to the poor and accused of being too lenient to witches and lax on adultery and incest. These charges led to him being forced to resign his position in 1638 though he was able to retain his property.

His son was the 1st Laird of Skaill House (Breckness Estate) and the estate has been passed down through 12 generations of the same family, each Laird with their own interesting story and part to play in the history of the House.

The 7th Laird was William Graham Watt who served as Laird for 56 years. William Watt discovered Skara Brae after a storm in 1850 and excavated 4 houses in the Neolithic village. He was said to be a generous landlord and entertained liberally. Notably his guests included Lady Jane Franklin, wife of Sir John Franklin who had sailed from Stromness in 1845 on his fatal voyage to discover the North West Passage.

Currently Skaill House is owned by Major Malcolm Macrae, the 12th Laird of Breckness. Major Macrae served with the Queens Own Highlanders before returning to Orkney to run the family farm. He inherited the house in 1991 and after 6 years of work the house was restored and opened to the public in June 1997.

Ghosts

Visit Skaill House and you might get more than you bargained for as the house is also abound with ghosts. The current Laird, members of staff and members of the public have all had spooky experiences! Even though there are many stories they all agree that the ghost or ghosts of Skaill are friendly.

Guests staying in the holiday apartments have reported several incidents of objects being moved without explanation – in one case the object was seen to move on its own!
Another family reported a ghostly figure in one of the bedrooms.

In the main house there have also been sightings. Mary Connolly, the manager at Skaill House reports she saw “a reflection of a man in the shop, but when I went through there was no one there. He was a tall man, with dark hair going thin on the top. That was not my imagination.” The house was searched but found to be empty...

There have also been many strange sounds, doors opening and closing of their own accord and even smells. Malcolm Macrae, owner of Skaill House reports he was in the office in the attic at Skaill when there was a smell of fresh cigarette smoke. Both he and Mary commented on it but could not find the source of the smell.