Skara Brae

Overview

This is a busy attraction so it is wise to pre-book a visiting time on the Historic Environment Scotland Website

Skara Brae is the best-preserved Neolithic village in Europe and is a very popular attraction on Orkney. As a result, it has a much better visitor centre than any of the other Neolithic sites on the Orkney Islands.

You start the visit with a short audio-visual presentation and a small display area showing some of the artifacts found during excavations. You then step outside and walk a short distance to a replica reconstruction of one of the Skara Brae houses. This is one of the most interesting parts of the visit as it gives you a very real sense of how life would have been in Skara Brae 5,000 years ago. The replica house is furnished with animal skins and other items that make it appear lived in. It seems surprisingly refined and we wouldn't have minded spending the night here.

You then walk a short distance to Skara Brae village via a scenic path along the edge of the beach at Bay of Skaill. The path has the interesting feature of marker stones which indicate a timeline of important historical events. The passage of years is proportional to the distance you walk and it takes you from Man landing on the moon in 1969, through the construction of the Pyramids & Stonehenge to Skara Brae. This really helps you to put into perspective how amazing it is that Skara Brae village has been preserved in such an intact state.

The village that you see today is a settlement of 9 houses, which you view from a path that meanders around the boundary of the village. For conservation reasons, you cannot wander through the rooms of the houses, but this doesn't detract from the experience as you can clearly see into the rooms. As with Maeshowe and other sites on Orkney, it is the craftsmanship of the stonework and the surprising sophistication of Neolithic life which makes these places so fascinating. The "dressers" in house 1 and house 7 are particularly intriguing items as they are thought to have been used as display cabinets for treasured family items.

Skara Brae is a common spot for coach party stops so you may find that there are quite a few other visitors.

Save money on visiting this attraction by buying an Explorer Pass

Read our Travel Blog for more information on the best things to do in Orkney.

PLEASE NOTE - Skara Brae Tickets are cheaper if pre-booked on the Historic Scotland website.