In the 18th and 19th centuries, sheltered Stenness bay was the location of one of Shetland's busiest deep-sea fishing stations. As many as forty boats - nine-metre-long sixareens, crewed by seven men - would be sailed or rowed to the fishing grounds some 65km away, before returning to salt and dry the catch on the shingle beaches. The remaining building is the fishing böd (booth), which was a store and shop below and living quarters for the laird's overseer above.