01
Skara Brae
Northern Europe's best-preserved Neolithic settlement, occupied roughly 3180-2500 BC, revealed by a storm in 1850.
Plan around this: Ticketed; book online in advance, especially in summer.
The Heart of Neolithic Orkney
A day in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney
Before Stonehenge's stone circle, before the pyramids, Orkney was building in stone. Four UNESCO World Heritage monuments within seven miles.
4World Heritage sites
6.8approx. miles between them
5,000years of history
Five thousand years ago the people of Orkney were building in stone on a scale that still surprises archaeologists. Four surviving monuments -- a village, two stone circles and a chambered tomb -- sit within seven miles of each other around the Loch of Stenness, close enough that UNESCO lists them as one World Heritage Site.
Maeshowe also appears on the existing Vikings in Orkney day out, deliberately -- it was built as a Neolithic tomb around 2800 BC, and twelve centuries later Norse visitors broke in and covered its walls with runic graffiti. Read it here for what it was built to be; read the Vikings page for what happened to it later.
Around the Loch of Stenness
Skara Brae, Brodgar, Stenness and Maeshowe
02
Ring of Brodgar
A massive stone circle and henge, originally perhaps 60 stones, among the largest in the British Isles.
03
Stones of Stenness and Barnhouse
An earlier and smaller circle than Brodgar, among the oldest henge monuments in Britain.
04
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
A chambered cairn aligned to the midwinter sunset, later covered in Norse runic graffiti.
Plan around this: Guided tour only: reserve a timed place before building the rest of the day.
Before setting out
Plan the practical parts
- All four sites sit on or very near the B9055/A965 loop connecting Stromness, Skara Brae and Stenness -- no significant detour mileage.
- Skara Brae benefits from advance online booking, which is cheaper and avoids sellouts in summer coach season.
- These are outdoor, exposed monuments -- appropriate clothing for wind and rain is a genuine practical need on Orkney.
- This cluster combines naturally with the existing Vikings in Orkney day if you have two days on Orkney.
Useful answers
Questions about this journey
Why does Maeshowe appear on both this page and the Vikings in Orkney page?
Because it genuinely belongs to both stories -- built as a Neolithic tomb, then broken into and covered in runic graffiti by Norse visitors roughly 3,000 years later.
Do I need to book everything in advance?
Only Maeshowe requires a booked tour. Skara Brae benefits from advance booking; the other two sites are free and open-access.
Make it yours
Plan your Neolithic Orkney day.
Tell us where you are staying on Orkney and let Story Scotland fit this World Heritage cluster into your day.
Plan my Neolithic Orkney day →