Students discover '1000-year-old Viking church' in UK

Students from King Charles' former boarding school have discovered the remains of what is thought to be a medieval Viking church about 1000 years old on an uninhabited Scottish island.

The Gordonstoun students made the discovery on an archaeological field trip to Swona, a tiny Orkney island where only feral cattle live.

The building thought to be a church bears similarities to other Viking churches from the 10th and 11th centuries.

Students and staff from Gordonstoun worked with professional archaeologists from the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (Orca) to uncover the remains during a recent six-day trip.

The remains of the church, including what is thought to be the foundation for its altar, were found beneath a more recent building on the island.

It is hoped radiocarbon dating of samples taken by the pupils will offer more conclusions about the medieval structure.

The trip to Swona was organised by Dan McLean, a housemaster at Gordonstoun supporting pastoral care for the students.

"The only real hint about a church being on the island is a map reference to a ruin known locally as the 'Twinly Kirk'.

"Once I had identified the site, it first appeared that the remaining church walls were of a more recent building, as they have been added to over the years.

"However, after we worked with the archaeologists to dig a test pit and clear away the weeds, we discovered a step just under the surface, leading to what would have been the church's altar.

"It was a special moment to confirm to the students that they had helped to uncover a piece of Viking history that could be up to 1000 years old."