Skara Brae a celebrated archaeological site on Mainland , near the B9056. It is a 4000- year-old Neolithic village completely buried under sand for nearly two millennia until a violent storm uncovered its existence in 1850. It is a remarkable settlement with much of its original 'furnishings' remaining intact: stone bed frames, shellfish tanks, hearths and primitive furniture all fashioned from stone. Some 10 houses and a workshop comprise this prehistoric village which is easily the best-preserved of its kind in Europe. Skara Brae Visitor Information and Accommodation Guide to assit with finding your vacation property.
Close by Skara Brae are the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brogar, known as the 'Circle of the Sun'. The former are a huge monument of which only four stones now remain upright. The latter is a great ring of stones, of which 27 out of a possible original 60 stand as a witness to the intense lifestyle of the folk who lived here in the ancient past.
Discovering Skara Brae Visitor Information and Accommodation Guide
- Skara Brae Latitude 59.048836° N Longitude -3.3417604° E
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Skara Brae is situated to the west side of the mainland, on road from Birsay to Stromness, an excavated Stone Age village, ranks close Maeshowe as Orkney's major Neolithic treasure. Built between 2500 and 2000 B.C., it consists of ten one-roomed houses in a remarkable state of reservation, its evident domesticity being fascinating. Ironically it was saved from Norse raids depredations because the inhabitants had abandoned it through sand encroachments: in any case the Norsemen would not have considered it worth their attention, as it was the home of humble folk with little worth taking.
The habits of its people are evident: here are curious stone beds, fireplaces and cupboards, covered passages from one dwelling to another and a paved open court for communal gatherings. Many of the primitive tools and animal bones found at Skarabrae are now in the Scottish National Museum of Antiquities. in Edinburgh.
