I read somewhere that the Orkney Islands were the Holy Grail for travellers to Scotland. They are located in the far north and not easily reached by most common modes of transportation. We were lucky to have the city of Kirkwall as a port of call on a British Isles cruise, giving us the opportunity to explore this area and its fascinating ancient sites. We choose to book a private tour that allowed us to see far more than any of the other tours arranged by the cruise ship. It was a little more expensive but offered a local guide (the son of the tour owners and a lifelong enthusiastic resident of the Islands) and lunch at a restaurant featuring local produce.
The Orkneys are barren and wind swept with few if any trees, but to our eyes vast and beautiful. We were there in early spring just after lambing season but before many of the flowers and crops started to bloom. It was, as our guide noted, a “wee breezy” that day.
After a scenic drive through the city of Kirkwall we came to our first ancient site, the Rennibuster Earth House which is an underground cellar dating back 2500 years. To reach the site we walked down a private driveway into the middle of a working farm. There was a fence and some signage to indicate the entrance, the cellar accessible by a small ladder. From underground there would have been a tunnel leading to an above ground home but it had collapsed over time. When the cellar was unearthed they discovered the remains of 14 bodies inside leading to much speculation about how this ancient family lived, and died.
We then travelled north to visit the Ring of Brodgar, standing stones dating back 3000 years. Next were the Standing Stones of Stenness, a larger more complete ring that is older than Stonehenge. Unlike Stonehenge however we were able to walk among these stones, even touch them.
Our final stop was at Skara Brae, an underground stone settlement dating back 4000 years. The site has been excavated so you can view it from a walkway above. At the site there is also a recreated version of the stone homes so you can get up close and personal with this ancient way of life. Skara Brae is located on the same land as Skail House, an estate home dating back to the 1600’s which was included with this stop.
Although not one of the ancient sights our tour also included a viewing of the first Churchill Barrier and the Italian Chapel, remnants of the islands involvement in the Second World War.
If you are lucky enough to have this stop on a tour or cruise, please ensure you take the time to wonder at the ancient marvels of these islands.