Orkney Image Library

Mid Rinnigal ? I've never heard of this croft, where abouts on Hoy is it?

This picture is Mid Rinnigill - Geordie and Sandy Robertson's hoose fae the shore side! West o' Rinnigill pier.

My mind must be going, your right Mabel, of course its Sandy's..

I wiz in the local fire service for ower therty year, waan day wae got a call tae this hoose, many years afore some body had put a plate across the breast o the harth and fitted a stove but had never built up the space behind,ower the years soot hid built up in the void space and on this day had "taen hadd" well there wiz some heat in the end o the hoose yae coodna pit yir hand on the wall. Owld Sandy and Geordie sat tight in the reek they were jist black wae the soot and reek bit they niver mooved oot o there chairs. Yae could say they were resiliant,I wid say they were as hard as nails.

Does anyone have any information on the Mathieson family who lived in Mid Rinigall from c 1850 until the last of the family, James, emigrated to Canada. (It was then, I'm led to believe, that George and Sandy Robertson moved in)

I was wondering if this Croft and Orraquay are the same. They appear to be? Thanks!