ARCHAEOLOGY

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage site encompasses treasures such as Maes Howe tomb, the stone circles of Brodgar and Stenness, and the well-preserved Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae. Also visit the eerie clifftop Tomb of the Eagles, on South Ronaldsay.

Three of Shetland’s sites are on the UK’S tentative list for World Heritage status: Mousa Broch (left, on uninhabited Mousa), an Iron Age roundhouse dating to 300BC; the Iron Age village of Old Scatness; and Jarlshof, where there are remains from the Bronze, Iron, Viking and medieval periods.