Dennishill, North Ronaldsay

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland

Dennishill is a house on the island of North Ronaldsay in East North Yard townland, 420m east of Senness and just east of Grind. The name of the croft comes from the headland "Dennis Ness", which itself may have been derived from "Senness".

The house did not feature in the Poll Tax returns of 1693. In the late 1700s, the sheepdyke was extended from a point west of Scotigar Loch further east, leading to the establishment of Dennishill and its neighbouring croft of Grind from the older croft of Sholtisquoy. ^[1]

Dennishill was built by the Scotts, who later moved to Quoybanks after building another house there. The Thomsons of Mid Liney then moved to Dennishill to replace the Scotts.^[2]

The croft was mentioned in the following records:

Year	Source	Person
1839	Marriage record	John Thomson of Dinnishill
1840	Marriage record	Mary Thomson of Dinnishill
1840	Baptism record	Mary Thomson
1841	Census	Thomas Thomson, his wife Mary, daughter Sibella and son John, with John's wife Ann and daughter Mary; and one other Thomson of unknown relation, possibly brother.
1842	Baptism record	Anne Thomson
1844	Baptism record	John Thomson
1847	Baptism record	Thomas Thomson
1850	Baptism record	William Thomson
1851	Census	John Thomson, his wife Ann, children Mary, Ann, John, Thomas and William; John's father Thomas and sister Sibella (3 acres crops and 3 acres pasturage)
1852	Baptism record	Charles Thomson
1902	Sheep Apportionment	Not stated; 25 sheep

References

1. ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch
2. ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch, p28