Orkney sits about 10 miles north of the Scottish mainland, separated by the Pentland Firth. It is technically close, but it feels genuinely different from the Highlands: flatter, more Norse in character, with a concentration of prehistoric monuments that is extraordinary even by world standards.

The scale of what is here is worth stating plainly. Skara Brae is around 5,000 years old, predating the Great Pyramid of Giza and Stonehenge. The Ring of Brodgar stone circle is approximately 4,500 years old. These are not curiosities. They are among the most significant archaeological sites in Europe.

Skara Brae: Scotland's Pompeii

Skara Brae is a Neolithic village preserved under coastal sand until a storm uncovered it in 1850. Eight stone-built houses survive, connected by covered passageways. Inside, you can see the stone furniture: beds, dressers, and hearths used by people who lived here between 3100 and 2500 BC.

The preservation is remarkable. Walking around the village, you can see exactly how the houses were arranged and begin to understand the lives of the people who built them. The adjacent Skara Brae visitor centre provides important context with good exhibits.

Practical notes:

  • Part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Tickets around £12 for adults. Book online
  • Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the village and visitor centre
  • Combined tickets available with Skaill House, the 17th-century mansion adjacent to the site
  • On the west coast of Orkney Mainland, about 8 miles from Stromness

Ring of Brodgar

A stone circle 104 metres in diameter on a narrow strip of land between two lochs. Originally 60 stones; 27 survive. The atmospheric isolation of the site, surrounded by water and low hills, is as much the experience as the stones themselves.

Unlike Stonehenge, there are no fences. You walk freely among the stones. On a clear day with a bit of cloud, the light and shadow across the site shifts constantly. On a grey day, it feels ancient in a way that is hard to explain.

The Ring of Brodgar is free to visit and has a small parking area. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to walk around the full circle.

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney

The Ring of Brodgar is part of a wider UNESCO complex that also includes:

Maeshowe: A Neolithic chambered tomb built around 2800 BC. The entrance passage aligns with the winter solstice sunset so that light illuminates the inner chamber for a few weeks around December 21st. Inside, the stonework is extraordinary. It also contains Viking graffiti from the 12th century, when Norse raiders broke in. Tours run at fixed times; book in advance.

Stones of Stenness: A smaller and older stone circle near Brodgar. Four stones remain of the original setting. The stones are taller and more slender than Brodgar and feel close and immediate.

Walking between all three sites along the loch shores takes around 2 to 3 hours and is one of the most atmospheric walks in Scotland.

Kirkwall: Orkney's Capital

Kirkwall is a proper small city with a cathedral, independent shops, and a good range of restaurants and accommodation. St Magnus Cathedral, built in 1137 by Norse settlers, is the most northerly cathedral in Britain and remarkably well preserved. The name gives away Orkney's Viking heritage: this was Norwegian territory until 1468.

The Orkney Museum in Kirkwall covers the full span of island history from prehistoric times through the Norse period to the present. It is free and worth a couple of hours.

Highland Park Distillery is in Kirkwall: one of the most northerly whisky distilleries in the world, producing a distinctive smoky and heathery single malt. Distillery tours and tastings available.

The Italian Chapel

On the tiny island of Lamb Holm, Italian prisoners of war during World War Two converted two Nissen huts into a remarkably beautiful chapel using scrap materials, concrete, and paint. The trompe l'oeil interior looks like stone and decorative plasterwork. A touching and unexpected discovery.

It is free to visit and open daily. Takes around 30 minutes.

Getting to Orkney

Ferry from Scrabster to Stromness: Around 1.5 hours. Scrabster is near Thurso at the top of the Scottish mainland.

Ferry from Gill's Bay to St Margaret's Hope: Around 1 hour. Run by Pentland Ferries (a separate operator from NorthLink).

Ferry from Aberdeen to Kirkwall: Overnight, around 6 hours.

Flights: Loganair flies to Kirkwall from Inverness, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and several other UK airports. Loganair also operates the famous 1.5-minute inter-island flight from Kirkwall to Westray.

A car is strongly recommended on Orkney. Distances between sites are manageable but public transport to the main archaeological sites is limited.