Churches and Grimness School
St. Peter's or North Parish Church---------------Interior picture taken in 1971
This is where the Cromartys' would have been blessed, married and buried.
Grimness school and teacherage taken in 1971
This school wouldn't be far from South Cara and is where
Alexander Cromarty and Jane Gray's children would have attended the four years between 1898 and 1902
when their father had the opportunity of taking over South Cara.
All of William Cromarty and Margaret Gutcher's children would have attended here.
Inside the school as it looked in 1971
Grimness School was finished on 28 October 1875. The land had ben bought by John Wm. Gray of Roeberry along with money from The Bank of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church. Another room was added 36 feet long by 18 feet and 15 high on 15 July 1893. In July 1880 the attendance was an average of 55 pupils. The school closed 22 December 1965 and has been used as a storage place for buses, then car repairs. It now belongs to Drs. C. & S. Kemp. It is in a poor state but they hope to renovate it and make there home there. (
from Helen Manson of Kirkwall)
St. Mary's or South Parish Church as it looked in 1999.
The Gutcher family would have attended this church.
As of 1999 services where being held once a year in the old church.
The newer church in St. Margaret's Hope is used now.
Louis Augade taken in 1971 by one of the Churchill Barriers.
(Louis was a son of Catherine Cromarty and Albert Augade)
Italian prisoners of the Second World War made the cement blocks for the barriers
Linking four Islands to the Mainland stopping the German submarines from approaching
Scapa Flow, a British Naval Base, from the East.
Picture taken from the Mainland of Orkney showing the Churchill Barriers looking South,
linking Mainland to the first Island, Lamb Holm, then the Island of Glim Holm then the
Island of Burray which is linked to South Ronaldsay.
What use to be an all day trip by boat for the folk living on South Ronaldsay
to get their shopping done in Kirkwall now only takes about 20 mins. by car.
Right on the top edge of the picture is Scotland. From the Southern most point of
South Ronaldsay to the Northern most point of Scotland is only 6 miles.
A clear day there is no problem of seeing across the Pentland Firth.
Other photos of interest taken 1990 in Kirkwall
Kirkwall 1990
Broad Street of Kirkwall
St Magnus Cathedral Orkney (Kirkwall) 1990
Inside the Cathedral
Now for a map view
Even though the majority of Cromartys came from South Ronaldsay there are a number of other places
on the islands where Cromartys are mentioned such as Kirkwall, Stromness, Deerness, Flotta
& Longhope. The Parish of Walls comes up a lot and that is the Southern part of Hoy. That's
where they get the term Walls and Flotta.
Coming down the redline road from Kirkwall to South Ronaldsay after passing St. Mary's we come to a
small Island called Lamb Holm. There we come upon an Italian Chapel built during the 11 World War
by Italian prisoners of War. (Designed by Domenico Chiocchetti) The prisoners were so board and
homesick that they just had to bring some thing into their lives.
The guards supplied them with material and they built themselves a chapel. Keep in mind that the
prisoners were also the ones that made the cement blocks for the Churchill Barriers.
The shell was from an abandon steel army hut lined up with plaster-board and then painted.
It has been kept up ever since mostly by visiting Italians who have some interest in it.
