Viking Silver Returns: The Burray Hoard at Orkney Museum!
From Saturday, 1 November, visitors to the Orkney Museum will be able to see over seventy remarkable artefacts from the Burray Hoard, one of Orkney’s most significant Viking Age treasures, on public display for the very first time.
Thanks to a special loan from National Museums Scotland, these items form the centrepiece of a brand-new exhibition in the museum’s Groundwater Galleries. The galleries were created through a generous legacy gift from a former Orkney resident, who wanted to ensure the islands’ Viking heritage would continue to be celebrated and preserved for future generations.
Discovered in 1889 by local man George Petrie while cutting peat near Little Wart, the Burray Hoard is the second-largest Viking treasure ever found in Orkney. The hoard contains almost two kilograms of silver, mostly made up of complete arm rings and pieces of hacksilver, fragments of silver jewellery and ingots cut or bent to be used as “ring-money.”
Photo Credit: Duncan McGlynn
In total, the hoard includes more than 140 items, dating to around 1000 CE. Coins found among the silver suggest it was buried between 997 and 1010, a time when silver was not just currency but a marker of power, trade, and social standing across the Viking world.
The display is part of a wider collaboration between National Museums Scotland and the Orkney Museum, with nearly one hundred artefacts being loaned as part of the partnership. Highlights include a stunning pair of bronze “tortoise” brooches from a Viking woman’s grave at the Broch of Gurness, and a gold ring from the Stenness Hoard, the only known gold hoard ever found in Orkney.
This initiative forms part of National Museums Scotland’s National Strategy, supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. The programme aims to share Scotland’s national collections more widely, bringing archaeological treasures and museum expertise to communities across the country through travelling exhibitions, loans, and educational outreach.
Photo Credit: Duncan McGlynn
Dr Martin Goldberg, Principal Curator of Medieval Archaeology and History at National Museums Scotland, said:
“We’re delighted to be loaning part of the Burray Hoard to Orkney Museum, giving visitors the chance to see these remarkable objects near the place where they were discovered. Silver hoards like this bring us face to face with moments in the past when people’s lives and wealth were at risk. We’re grateful to the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us share the National Collection with audiences across Scotland.”
Dr Siobhan Cooke-Miller, Archaeology Curator at Orkney Museum, added:
“We’re thrilled to have part of the Burray Hoard back in Orkney for the first time in more than 35 years. Our benefactor’s generosity has made this possible – his wish was that his legacy should be used to support Viking heritage in the islands. This exhibition is a fitting tribute to him and a reminder of how deeply connected the people of Orkney remain to their Norse roots.”
The exhibition offers a rare opportunity for both locals and visitors to experience one of Orkney’s greatest archaeological finds up close. Beyond its glittering silver and fine craftsmanship, the Burray Hoard tells a story of life, trade, and identity in the Viking world, and of Orkney’s enduring place within it.