Pre-history

The presence of Neolithic standing stones and a cairn show that the island was at least visited in prehistoric times. There are two standing stones, the larger, southerly stone is 147 cm high, by 91 cm wide and 30 cm deep.^[13] The northerly stone is 112 cm high, 48 cm wide and just 15 cm deep and is thus somewhat smaller.^[14] Further evidence of pre-historic use is provided by the presence of a 9 m diameter by 0.5 m high turf covered cairn, near The Ool at the southern tip of the island. When excavated the cairn contained a cist-like structure.^[15]

Haswell-Smith (2004) maintains there is no written record of any post-Neolithic habitation,^[3] and there are 3 further sources that would support that assertion, at least for the past 350 years. The Blaeu Atlas of Scotland (1654) stated that the island was "neither inhabited nor cultivated".^[16] The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, published in 1848, stated that the island was uninhabited.^[17] Finally, the Ordnance Survey map of 1882 doesn't indicate any significant building or habitation, although the enclosure mentioned below would seem to be present.^[18] Whether the island was uninhabited prior to 1654 is less certain since the Descriptions of Orkney, written in 1529, states that the entire population of an island, "Southay" presumed to refer to Switha, is said to have died while sailing to a Christmas celebration on a neighboring island, and the island had never been populated since.^[19] In addition, there are archeological remains that could represent old dwellings, for instance a stone closure at the southern end of the island.^[20]

Agricultural use

The island would seem to have had a long history of use for agriculture, at least for keeping stock. In current times the island is wholly used for sheep grazing.^[21] Older texts support the island's use for other livestock however, for instance it is recorded that in 1747–48, 11 oxen were kept on Switha, part of the Burray inventory.^[22]