A Day Uncovering Neolithic Orkney
A day by car, from Skara Brae to Maeshowe Chambered Cairn.
Written by Graeme Johncock
If you’re interested in ancient history, there’s nowhere quite like Orkney. This archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland is packed with so many well-preserved neolithic sites that it’s earned UNESCO World Heritage status. These are more than rocks, too: they’re packed with stories that make them come alive, and you can get round lots of them in just one day!
Pick your dates, and who is coming, and every stop will say whether it is open that day, and what it is like with children, a dog or a wheelchair.
- How
- A day by car
- Distance
- About 19 miles
- Starts
- Skara Brae
- Ends
- Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
- Good for
- Food and drink, History, Islands
Book before you go
Worth booking aheadSkara Brae. Book tickets online for the best price and a guaranteed entry: from April to September every day from 9.30am, last entry 4.30pm; £14 an adult online at the time of writing, Skaill House included until 31 October.
The day
Skara Brae
An attraction
Skara Brae is undoubtedly the busiest attraction in Orkney, so I’d always recommend visiting first thing to try and avoid some crowds. This 5,000-year-old village lay buried under sand and turf until it miraculously appeared after a storm in 1850. Strange looking stacked stones were revealed and as archaeologists got to work, they discovered something very special. A series of perfectly preserved homes, connected by corridors, complete with Neolithic furniture. Stone beds, hearths, water-containers and even stone cupboards emerged inside the buildings. We don’t know why these ancient people suddenly abandoned Skara Brae, whether they chose to leave or were forced out by a sudden sandstorm, but it gets your imagination going!
The rest of this day is for members.
5 more stops, what to do at each, and the drive between them. Members read every one of our days, and the magazine.
Ring of Brodgar
An attraction
Standing Stones of Stenness
An attraction
Julia’s Café Bistro
Food and drink
Unstan Cairn
An attraction
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
An attraction
Make it a weekend
Days that start near Maeshowe Chambered Cairn.
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Photograph by Elisa Gava Williams via Google