Orkney Islands
Skara Brae
About
Skara Brae
Skara Brae is the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in northern Europe — a 5,000-year-old village of eight stone-built houses on the Bay of Skaill on Orkney's west coast, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. Hidden beneath a grass-covered midden for millennia, it was only revealed in 1850 when a violent storm stripped the dune away, exposing a village so perfectly preserved that stone beds, dressers, hearths, and storage boxes still remain in place. Walking among the houses gives an extraordinary sense of the lives lived here between 3100 and 2500 BC — the inhabitants were farmers and fishermen who built in stone because Orkney has almost no timber, and their furniture has survived the centuries in remarkable condition. The site is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site and is accompanied by a full-scale replica house and an excellent interactive visitor centre. Skaill House, a 17th-century laird's mansion, is included in the entry ticket.
Things to see & do
FAQs
Skara Brae dates from around 3100 to 2500 BC, older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. People lived here for roughly 600 years before it was abandoned, and it stayed hidden until 1850, when a fierce storm stripped away the dune covering it. It's one of the best-preserved Neolithic settlements in the world.
Skara Brae preserves the stone interiors of eight linked Neolithic houses, with beds, dressers, hearths and storage boxes still in place, the everyday fittings of life 5,000 years ago. You can step inside a full-scale replica house, and the visitor centre is genuinely good. Entry also includes Skaill House, a 17th-century mansion nearby.
Skara Brae is about 19 miles west of Kirkwall, roughly a 30-minute drive, on the Bay of Skaill on Orkney's west coast. Most visitors fold it into the same day as the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness, all part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.
Walking among the preserved stone houses at Skara Brae is a genuinely moving experience, and it ranks among the world's great prehistoric sites. The Neolithic village, the replica house, the visitor centre and the setting on the Bay of Skaill together make it one stop you shouldn't miss on an Orkney trip.
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Skara Brae
with a local expert guide.
Tours visiting this attraction
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