Prehistoric finds have been made in the form of ancient
cists, somewhat west of the primary school. Further east towards Kirkwall is the
Rennibister Earth House, estimated to be 3000 years old. Formerly called "Toon o' Firth", the origin of the Finstown name is thought to come from an Irishman named David Phin who came to the area in 1811. A soldier with the 9th Royal Veteran Battalion, he married a Kirkwall woman in 1813. In 1820, he opened an ale-house which was called the
Toddy Hole by arrangement with John Miller of
Millquoy. Four years later they quarrelled and Phin left for
Aberdeen, but his name remained. The ale-house building is now the site of the
Pomona Inn hostelry, after an old name for Mainland Orkney. The former
Liberal Party leader
Jo Grimond is buried in Finstown. ==Community==