A channel has been made in the rocky reef, approximately two meters wide. Boats would be able to enter the sheltered harbour only when the tide was coming in. Local information given to County Archaeologist Julie Gibson, claims that it was here Earl Magnus took his boats ashore, and that he was murdered in this area, as opposed to the St. Magnus Kirk. The name ‘Hubbet’ is a clue to the area’s function, as ‘Hop’ is Old Norse for harbour. The best-known place with this name is St. Margaret’s Hope, known in Orkney as ‘the Hup’. To help you locate the site, look towards the Egilsay shore as you round the southeast tip of Rousay. Look for a ruined storehouse with gable ends intact to the left of a whitewashed cottage. The ruin stands on the Head of Vardy and the entrance to the Hubbet is to the left of the ruin.
The Hubbet by Amber Craigie aged 11
