Birsay
Orkney
KW17 2LY
Please note that this event has already happened.
To see upcoming events please visit the Events page.
To see upcoming events please visit the Events page.
Immerse yourself in the history of the ancient Viking grain, bere. Take part in a tour of a working water mill, followed by a cookery class and storytelling. This event is part of the Orkney Viking Week.
Come and discover the history of the ancient Viking grain, bere. Still grown in Birsay, Orkney is one of the last few remaining places in Scotland to grow this ancient grain.
Visit the historic working water mill, Barony Mill, where the bere is ground by the heavy water-driven millstones and dried on a traditional fire-heated floor. Hear about the history of the mill and how it preserves its heritage doing the milling process in the way it has been done for centuries. See the water-driven mechanism in action and get close to the bere itself!
Following this, you will take part in a cookery class with chef Lorraine Johnston, where you will learn to bake traditional Orkney oatcakes made with this ancient Viking grain, using oats and bere from Barony Mill. While the oatcakes are baking, Viking expert and storyteller Dr Ragnhild Ljosland will entertain with tales of Viking Birsay and the sea. At the end, you take home a bag of your own warm oatcakes.
This event is suitable for adults. The starting point is Barony Mill, which is just outside the village of Palace in Birsay.
The tour of the mill begins promptly at 2.45pm.
The cookery class and storytelling will be in Birsay Community Hall, approximately half a mile from the mill.
Spaces are limited to ten participants and booking is essential. Tickets cost £25.
