The Orkney Isles just north of Scotland’s mainland has been known to man since Neolithic and Megalithic times and every day archaeologists are finding more and more artifacts associated with people having lived in this remote region for almost 9000 years. Many of these finds are located at the Unesco World Heritage Site – the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. For this reason, Orkney has proved to be an archaeologist’s dream site

 

 

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The Ring of Brodgar lies north east of Stromness on the Main Island and is one of the finest stone circles in the world. It originally contained 60 stones but only twenty seven remain today. Its true purpose is not known but is thought to be that it was used for prehistoric rituals. The best times to appreciate the beauty of these stones, is at sunrise or sunset.

 

 

Skara Brae, one of the most famous sites on Orkney, was only discovered because of a great storm in 1850 which stripped the grass from a mound known as Skerrabra which revealed the outline of some stone buildings. The buildings were originally thought to date from the iron age but radiocarbon dating has discovered that they were inhabited for around 600 years during Neolithic times. The well preserved buildings consist of eight dwellings connected by a series of low covered passageways. Each dwelling contained a fireplace, beds and shelved dresser giving a unique perspective on the way people of that time lived.

 Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar are two of the most famous sites known to visitors but there are many other hidden gems to be found on these northern isles.

 

 

The Broch of Gurness is an iron-age village to the north west of Kirkwall. Brochs or tall circular towers are unique to Scotland and in Orkney were surrounded by fair sized villages. The Broch would have been the dwelling place of the principal family of the area and contained thick walls for protection, a central hearth, stone built cupboards and a well. Visit the Broch and you will also be able to see the well-preserved village and the Viking cemetery.

 

 

Positioned near to the heart of Neolithic Orkney you will find the Unstan Cairn. It is to be found on the shores of Lake Stenness and near to the Stones of Stenness, another stone circle. The cairn or burial mound is accessed through a very low passageway meaning you have to ‘duck down’ to enter. It seems that the cairn was used as a communal grave and when excavated revealed bones and shards of pottery. The finding of a vast quantity of these Neolithic bowls led to this particular style of pottery being known as Unstan Ware.

 

 

The Click Mill is the last surviving horizontal mill of the type also found in Shetland and Lewis. This very primitive type of mill is powered by water and makes a clicking noise as it runs, hence the name it was given. The click mill in Orkney contains all the original workings and is well worth a visit.

 

 

Situated on Orkney’s West Mainland, Corrigal Farm Museum shows how a late 19th Century Orkney farmhouse would have looked. The free to visit museum has a working barn, grain kiln, horse-drawn machinery and livestock. A traditional peat fire placed in the middle of the room, demonstrates the similarity of heating Orkney homes through the centuries dating back to Neolithic man. All members of the family will enjoy a visit to this museum.

 

 

Similar to Skara Brae, the site known as the Knap of Howar was only discovered after a storm hit the beautiful island of Papa Westray. The stone building at the site, the oldest standing house in Europe, is dated as being 5000 years old. Papa Westray was known to the Viking invaders as Papay Meiri meaning ‘big island of the papars’ – Papars being monks. Excavations provide evidence that the people living there kept cattle and sheep, farmed the land and fished for food.

 

 

 

These are only a few of the reasons to visit the isles of Orkney and much more can be found as you wander the islands. The friendly, happy inhabitants of the isles will be glad to point you in the right direction.