Editing Switha (section)

==History==

===Pre-history===

The presence of [[Neolithic]] [[standing stone]]s and a [[cairn]] show that the island was at least visited in [[prehistoric]] times. There are two standing stones, the larger, southerly stone is 147&nbsp;cm high, by 91&nbsp;cm wide and 30&nbsp;cm deep.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/9461/switha-south | title=Switha, South. Standing Stone (prehistoric) |publisher=[[Canmore (database)|CANMORE]] | accessdate=7 November 2018}}</ref> The northerly stone is 112&nbsp;cm high, 48&nbsp;cm wide and just 15&nbsp;cm deep and is thus somewhat smaller.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/9469/switha-north | title=Switha, North. Standing Stone (prehistoric) |publisher=CANMORE| accessdate=7 November 2018}}</ref> Further evidence of pre-historic use is provided by the presence of a 9&nbsp;m diameter by 0.5&nbsp;m high turf covered cairn, near The Ool at the southern tip of the island. When excavated the cairn contained a cist-like structure.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/9472/switha-the-ool | title=Switha, The Ool. Cairn |publisher=CANMORE| accessdate=7 November 2018}}</ref>

Haswell-Smith (2004) maintains there is no written record of any post-Neolithic habitation,<ref name=Smith/> and there are 3 further sources that would support that assertion, at least for the past 350 years. The [[Joan Blaeu|Blaeu]] ''[[Atlas Maior|Atlas of Scotland]]'' (1654) stated that the island was "neither inhabited nor cultivated".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://maps.nls.uk/atlas/blaeu/browse/page/141 | title=Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654 |publisher=[[National Library of Scotland]] | accessdate=7 November 2018}}</ref> The ''Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland'', published in 1848, stated that the island was uninhabited.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/imperialgazettscv1wils#page/662/mode/2up/search/switha | title=Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, p. 663 | accessdate=7 February 2014}}</ref> Finally, the Ordnance Survey map of 1882 doesn't indicate any significant building or habitation, although the enclosure mentioned below would seem to be present.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/74427968 | title=1882 six-inch to the mile Ordnance survey map CXXIII | accessdate=7 February 2014}}</ref> Whether the island was uninhabited prior to 1654 is less certain since the ''Descriptions of Orkney'', written in 1529, states that the entire population of an island, "Southay" presumed to refer to Switha, is said to have died while sailing to a Christmas celebration on a neighboring island, and the island had never been populated since.<ref>Jo Ben (1529) [http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/joben/southay.htm " Jo Ben's 1529 "Descriptions of Orkney: Southay"]. Orkneyjar. Retrieved 16 September 2013.</ref> In addition, there are archeological remains that could represent old dwellings, for instance a stone closure at the southern end of the island.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/9465/switha | title=Site record for possible enclosure |publisher=CANMORE |accessdate=7 November 2018}}</ref>

===Agricultural use===

The island would seem to have had a long history of use for agriculture, at least for keeping stock. In current times the island is wholly used for sheep grazing.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004).</ref> Older texts support the island's use for other livestock however, for instance it is recorded that in 1747–48, 11 oxen were kept on Switha, part of the [[Burray]] inventory.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Northern Isles: Orkney and Shetland | author=Fenton, Alexander | pages=318 | isbn=1862320586}}</ref>