The initial analysis of the Bornish bone has identified c1660 bones from the collections assembled prior to the 1997 excavation. Domestic animals present on site are cattle, sheep, pig, horse, dog and cat. Wild species identified are red deer, roe deer, otter, seal and rabbit. The latter is probably intrusive as the site has been extensively burrowed into by rabbits and the condition of the majority of rabbit bone suggests a recent burial.
 

The distribution of the species across the different mounds and phases is shown in table 1. The majority of the material comes from domestic animals with cattle and sheep present in similar amounts. The number of horse bones present is higher than recorded for the Iron Age at Dun Vulan (Mulville in Parker Pearson and Sharples forthcoming). Many of these are loose teeth, but a number are long bones. The presence of a horse shed deciduous premolar suggests that not only were young horses present but that they, or their bedding, were kept close to the settlement.

The next most abundant species is red deer, present in most phases in greater quantities than pig. This is unusual both for Iron Age sites on the Uists, where pigs are usually far more abundant than red deer, and for the Norse. Deer were virtually absent from the Norse period at Cille Phaedir and the Udal, and are only found in small quantities at Howe and Buckquoy. A preliminary analysis of the bones present reveals a predominance of meat bones. This suggests that after hunting the majority of waste bones were left at the kill-site and only the meat bones returned.

The evidence for Roe Deer on the islands is unusual, however, its presence in the Iron Age deposits is similar to records from Dun Vulan. In general, the later Viking deposits contain a wider range of species. Whilst this may only be an artefact of the greater size of the Viking assemblages, the range of species found at Cille Phaedir, a much smaller assemblage, is similar.

The dog bones include a partially articulated foot whilst the large number of cat bones are derived from at least two burials. Although present in small quantities, a proportion of both the seal and otter bones show butchery marks consistent with the removal of their skins.

A preliminary examination of the ageing information for cattle indicates a large number of neonatal animals. This is a continuation of the trend seen in the Bronze Age and Iron Age and is similar to the Udal and other Norse sites in Orkney. The majority of sheep and pigs died as young adults.

No attempt has been made to examine spatial or chronological differences within the Norse assemblage and at present no analysis of the large numbers of whale and fish bone has been undertaken.