A visit to the Orkneys, a group of some 70 islands scattered between ten and sixty miles off the northeast coast of Scotland, is truly to delve back several thousand years into prehistory. Whilst first impressions may suggest arrival at a far-flung outpost of Britain, in Prehistoric times the Orkney Islands made up some of the most advanced settlements in Europe.
The concentration of ancient monuments on these isles, from standing stones to stone circles, tombs and even entire Neolithic villages, is overwhelming. So much so that some tours of the isles concentrate solely on ancient history, whilst on mainland Orkney (the principal Orkney Island) the western portion hs been given prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Key Periods of Orkney History
The golden age of ancient Orkney was the Neolithic Period, spanning approximately from the fourth millennium BC to about 2000 BC. Many of the island's most spectacular monuments date from this period. Then there was the Stone Age, from around 2000 BC to about 800 BC and the Iron Age, lasting on Orkney from 800 BC to just after 700 AD.
West Mainland Orkney Sites
This simply stunning archaeological area boasts one of the world's greatest Neolithic villages and one of the most striking stone circles Scotland has.
• The UNESCO World Heritage strip, this is an impressive chambered cairn which visitors can crawl inside. It dates from around 2800 BC but boasts some interesting runes left by the Vikings in the 12th century on the inside chamber.
• One of Scotland's most spectacular stone circles, a wide circle of some 27 stone menhirs standing on the moor above Harray and Stenness Lochs.
East Mainland Orkney
• Headland on Orkney's east coast, this broch is thought to date from around 200 BC.
South Ronaldsay
South Ronaldsay is joined to mainland Orkney by a causeway. In Isbister, towards the south of the island, the big ancient attraction is the Tomb of the Eagles. Dating from around 3000 BC, the interesting finds include the remains of multiple white-tailed eagles.
Hoy Island — The Dwarfie Stane
The remarkable thing about the Dwarfie Stane, on the road to the famous rock stack, the Old Man of Hoy, is that it is a chambered cairn carved out of a single piece of rock. Like other chambered tombs, the primary purpose was for burial of the dead.
Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre
These three islands off the east coast of the Orkney mainland contain some real archaeological treasures. Most important is the broch at Midhowe, constructed between 200 BC and 200 AD. Thee are several other brochs on the road o Midhowe, including the eerie Knowe of Yarso. These three islands together boast 166 sites of ancient historic interest.
Papa Westray — The Knap of Howar
These two Neolithic houses on the island of Papa Westray, north of mainland Orkney, are the oldest known dwellings anywhere in Northwest Europe. The remains show that at this time (approximately 3600 BC) the Orkney Islands were already being farmed successfully.