Berenice, In his book "The Place-Names of Birsay", Hugh Marwick does not mention anywhere called Dykes. Since the book is very comprehensive, even listing the names of fields and rocks, it is unlikely there's a place called Dykes in Birsay. The closest similar names are Dykeside, Upper Dykeside and Lower Dykeside. Neither do I know of anywhere called Dykes in Sandwick. However, there is in Evie a place called Dyke (with no terminal "s"). Look here:* * http://tinyurl.com/cxk5t There is also a Dyke-End in South Ronaldsay, and no doubt there are some other Dyke names elsewhere in Orkney. By the way Dyke (or Dykes) would never have been a parish. The main parishes in the West Mainland of Orkney are Birsay, Sandwick, Evie, Rendall, Harray, Stromness, Stenness, Orphir and Firth. Regards, Norman Tulloch