One of Orkney’s top archaeological sites, Tomb of the Eagles, was recently brought into community ownership through the South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust. With support from the Heritage Manager, and two Seasonal Rangers, the refurbished Visitor Centre is run entirely by volunteers.
Volunteers meet and greet visitors - explaining the lay out of the archaeological site and Visitors Centre. They also take payment for entry, keep the Visitor Centre clean and tidy and manage the small shop space selling Tomb of the Eagles merchandise.
Tomb of the Eagles Heritage Manager, Catriona Martin-Lennie said:
Our volunteers are the heart of our operation at Tomb of the Eagles. Visitors to the site comment on how passionate and knowledgeable our volunteers are, and how much this engagement enhances their experience. Being a community run visitor attraction, we rely on the support and generosity of our volunteers giving their time to support the operation. Simply put, we could not do what we do without our incredible volunteers.
Some of the volunteers provided feedback on their positive experience at the Tomb of the Eagles:
"I had a brilliant time volunteering at Tomb of the Eagles. For me it's the best pre-historic site in Orkney, and quite possibly the world. The enjoyment and positivity this inspires in visitors is a joy to behold. The leadership are reassuringly competent, so any issues are dealt with in a supportive and sensitive manner."
“This is a lovely place in the landscape to volunteer - it great to know that I am helping to reintroduce a South Ronaldsay Neolithic tomb and Bronze Age building to the public and letting them enjoy it”.
“Everyone is friendly and helpful and I meet so many interesting visitors. Telling folk the story of the site before their walk and hearing their pleasure once they have visited the tomb was heart-warming. I am newly retired and it is easy to become isolated, so this has renewed my interest in archaeology and made me feel useful again.”
“The camaraderie, and enthusiasm of the team, is very apparent at the Visitor Centre. I think those who visit, some from far afield, can sense it. They return some of the excitement so that at the end of the day everyone comes away with an experience, to their satisfaction - a real win/win situation.”
VAO provided support to the Tomb of the Eagles to help with volunteer recruitment. We advertised the Heritage Volunteer role on our website, promoted it through our communication channels and highlighted it to potential volunteers we met with.
Joe Horrocks from South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust said:
We appreciate the support of VAO. They helped us to recruit volunteers, through spreading the word and reaching new audiences. Their advice and guidance on volunteer management has also been beneficial to us as we settle into managing a large volunteer pool and ensuring that they have the best experience volunteering with us.
