The Story

Sanday is part of the Orkney islands, located in the northern part of the island cluster. It is a Site of Scientific Interest (SSI) for Early March and Frog Orchids that dot the edge of North Loch, and is also known for its prolific birdlife.

On the coast is a town called Scar, which is the site of the Saville Stone or the Stone oí Scar. The stone is a 20-ton block of Scandinavian gneiss, and originally lay in a field known as Coos Moo. Local folklore tells of an angry witch from the neighboring island of Eday who threw the stone to Sanday, aiming for the man that had eloped with her daughter. The witch missed, and the two lovers remained free and happy. In the late 1800ís, the Saville family attempted to move the rock to Scar in order to use it as a landscape feature by their house, but the cart that was carrying it broke under the weight and it has remained in that spot ever since. To this day, remains of the cart can be seen, peeking out from under the rock!