Brookpoint

(Brook Point)

A location on the southwestern shore of Harold's Wick on the east coast of Unst in Shetland, Brookpoint (occasionally Brook Point) overlooks the village of Haroldswick, a quarter-mile (0.4 km) to the north. The community have built both a Viking ship and a replica Viking longhouse here. Known as the Skidbladner, after a magic ship belonging to the Norse god Freyr, this is one of the largest replica Viking longships ever built, a full-scale copy of the 9th C. ship found as part of a burial on Gokstad Farm in Sandefjord (Norway) which is now on display in an Oslo museum. It was completed in 2006.

The longhouse was built here 2010-12 using the floor-plan of one of the best preserved examples of a Viking home, which was excavated 1½ miles (2.5 km) to the south at Hamar. The project was primarily funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, with contributions from Historic Scotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Amenity Trust. The stone and turf are local materials, but the wood had to be imported from Dingwall on the Scottish mainland and birch bark for waterproofing the roof was brought from Norway. Local craftsmen had to rediscover ancient skills including cutting wooden joints.


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