What We're Up To
Amongst regular activities such as the general upkeep of the pier and breakwater, monitoring of buildings and wildlife and record-keeping, below are listed some specific activities carried out by the group:
Rose Cottage clean up in collaboration with Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme - 2012
Norhead window repairs - 2013
Norhead Clean up - 2013/14
Orkney Historic Boat Society Collaboration
Transfer of Falcon Yole K418 built by James Rosie senior in 1927 to OHBS - 2017
Restoration of the Falcon begins - coordinated by OHBS and conducted by Ian Richardson and Jeff Mackie, note that Ian Richardson and James Rosie were trained at Anderson's boatyard in Stromness) - December 2017
Sails and rigging recovered from Swona (Norhead and the "up and doon hoose") by OHBS and Swona Heritage Group - 28 June 18
Norhead 3 windows and roof repaired (7 slates) - 26th June 2018
Locks and signs installed on various buildings - 2018
New beam installed in Norhead extension - 5th January 2019
Stairs in Norhead repaired (Alan Cooper, and Lindsay Reid) - October 2019
James Rosie's backup ferry - a Lifeboat of 1930s, ex “M/T Arne Kjøde - transferred to the OHBS - October 2019
Digital Tour - Set Fair for Swona - Collaboration with Orkney International Science Festival and the Stromness Museum - September 2021
Orkney Agricultural Discussion Society - Virtual talk on the Swona Cattle - February 2022
Lost Worlds, Ben Fogle - June 2022
Recovery of artefacts from Rose Cottage annexe.
Essential local repairs to pier concrete using original materials and methods
Botanical survey carried out - Spring 2023
Further pier repairs - July 2023
Recovery of remains of James Rosie Snr's Yole, The Hood, for replica vessel to be made in Caithness by Lewis Campbell - August 2023
Greengate well inspected and water flow con
Slates repaired on Norhead - 2024
Havaen Pier and breakwater steps pressure washed - 2024
Materials for vehicle shed roof transported with assistance from Orca Ventures and Gordonstoun, concrete fibre roofing sheets and new timbers - 2024
Temporary cattle defences installed on some building doorways
2024 Gordonsotoun Service Project - a week long community benefit project by Gordonstoun students, 10 students and 2 teachers carried our the following works with the assistance of Isle Fixit:
Composting toilet installed
Haven Pier concrete repars and re-surfaced
Flagstone paths around norhead cleared
Plant surveys carried out
Drystane dykes around norhead repaired
New patch to Norhead north side and water runn-off
Old stove removed
Window boarded up
Windows sealed
Norhead floor removed
Greengate well re-commissioned
Rose cottage windows boarded up and artefacts from anex removed
Rose Cottage roof temporarily repaired