Kirkwall, Skara Brae and Ness of Brodgar

Skara Brae, a fishing and farming village more than 5,000 years old, is a must on any visit to Orkney. The houses have stone furniture, and the winding paths between them were roofed. It can be reached easily from Kirkwall on an hourly local bus service.
On the way back from Skara Brae, we stopped off at the excavations at Ness of Brodgar. Here a senior archaeologist explains what they have found out about life at the site 5,000 years ago. The buildings, much larger than Skara Brae, were not houses but halls for ceremonies and feasting. The fascinating tour of the site, accompanied by explanations of techniques and discoveries, lasted 75 minutes, and was free, though a donation to help finance the work is expected.
What looks like a jumble of stones tells stories of a complex late stone age civilisation when dug and analysed by experts.  Teams of volunteer archaeologists have been working here for 22 years but 2024 is the last summer. The site will be filled in later this year using the midden – composted ancient rubbish – with which it was covered when it was found. This will protect it for future generations of archaeologists who may have new questions and new techniques.

St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall and the Bishop’s Palace nearby (overleaf) are also well worth a visit, telling an almost-modern story from 4,500 years later.

Orkney is now on the cruise ship itinerary – we saw a new ship by breakfast time each of the four days we were in Kirkwall.

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