Neolithic Orkney

A seven-mile stretch of west Orkney is home to 5,000-year-old Neolithic henges, mounds and monoliths whose purpose remains unknown

Amidsummer land of light and wonder lies off the top of Scotland. Here timeless ancient monuments sit under immense skies and panoramic horizons that reach across the wild seas. These are the 70 islands of Orkney, inhabited for more than 5,000 years. Today the evidence of those early residents is nowhere more visible than on the West Mainland. Now designated as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, their henges, mounds, huts and monoliths are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They stand mysterious and proud in a landscape of natural dramatic cliffs, sheltered harbours and fields of grass. At their feet, wild flowers bloom while overhead the mewling seabirds perform their aerial acrobatics in the blustering, salty winds.

Clifftop views over the ocean

From the top of the red sandstone cliffs at Yesnaby, between Stromness and the Bay of Skaill, the views stretch out over thousands of miles of rolling waves. This is a coast of vertical sandstone cliffs and stacks, steep columns of rock in the sea formed by wave erosion. Here, sheltered by a prominent headland, The Brough of Bigging, is the Noust of Bigging, a rugged inlet with a shingle beach. These names reflect the area’s Viking heritage. Bigging comes from Old Norse Borg Bygging, or Fort of the Building and Noust from naustr, a place where boats are beached. Until recently, local farmers used to pull up their yoles – small open boats – in this haven. A third of a mile to the south is the impressive 115ft (35m) high Castle of Yesnaby. A pillar or stack of stone, it stands on two legs in a cove, Garthna Geo. Here the

headland shelters it from the full fury of the North Atlantic. On a calm day, this is a peaceful place to admire a midsummer sunset over the ocean. At this time of year, it never gets fully dark, as the sun is over the horizon for more than 18 hours. The warm colours of the 100ft (30m) high cliffs are enhanced by the soft, rich light. On a clear day, the view extends almost 70 miles to Cape Wrath on the far northwest tip of Scotland. During a storm, however, the cliffs become dark and brooding as the clouds streak past. The huge Atlantic waves smash into the cliffs, often breaking over the land. The calls of oystercatchers and curlews resound, as they fly overhead to their moorland breeding grounds inland. Small numbers of puffins nest here in rock crevices. There is also a colony of Arctic terns near the coast. Less than a quarter of a mile inland, the bare clifftops change to maritime heath, a unique habitat which forms a carpet of low vegetation. Here grows the tiny and extremely rare Primula scotica. This sturdy plant, known as the Scottish primrose, reaches just 1¾in (4cm) high. It is found only at Yesnaby, and similar places in Orkney as well as North Sutherland and Caithness. Each stem has two to eight small magenta flowers, with five heart-shaped petals surrounding a bright yellow throat. Approximately a quarter of a mile to the north of Yesnaby, stromatolites, fossils of cyanobacteria or blue-green algae can be seen. These lived 350 million years ago. Primitive photosynthetic organisms, they fixed carbon and released oxygen into the environment. Some are said to resemble horse’s teeth, while others appear as nodules eroding from the rocks. These ancient fossils are in flat exposures of rock strata near the edge of the cliffs.

Skara Brae

Five miles north is Skara Brae, a Neolithic village. The name is a corruption of Skerrabra, as it is still known locally. It may be from the Old Norse, Skjaldbreiðr, meaning Broad Shield, as the mound which covered it resembled a Viking shield. The village was revealed after a severe storm in 1850 washed some of the covering sand dunes away. Four houses were cleared out in the 1860s, before an excavation in 1929 revealed more layers of occupation.

“Skara Brae is my favourite place in Orkney,” says Christopher Walker. He is a Historic Environment Scotland’s steward for the site. “I feel very honoured to work at such an important archaeological site. On top of that, there aren’t many people who can say the view from their office is the Atlantic Ocean.” The site was occupied for over 600 years, from before 3100BC to approximately 2500BC. There were seven dry-stone-built houses, connected by a covered close. All had been buried to the tops of the walls by midden, a mixture of domestic rubbish, sand and dung. The houses are between 20ft (6m) and 13ft (4m) square, with a wall height of approximately 8ft (2.4m). They have beds and dressers, all made of stone. There are tanks in the floor, cupboards in the walls and cells off the main room. Each house has a central fireplace, while stone-lined drains served the village. The original houses can only be seen from above. However, a replica of Hut 7 has been built. This gives a dramatic idea of its size and the comfort Neolithic families enjoyed. An eighth hut was the workshop. Here there was a kiln for firing pottery, and drying grain and malt. Pots up to 24in (60cm) diameter were found, often decorated with geometric patterns. Known as Grooved Ware, these pots were flat-bottomed with straight sides sloping outwards. Grooved decoration around the top is made up of geometric motifs. These include lozenges, chevrons, crosses and triangles. Some of these pots could hold 175 pints (100 litres) and would have been used for storage, or for making ale. Inhabitants kept cattle, pigs and sheep. They grew barley and wheat and ate fish, birds and shellfish. Bone was used for tools and jewellery. Such intimate insights into the lives of Skara Brae’s inhabitants give them a sense of immediacy to Christopher. “The Stone Age has always fascinated me,” he says. “Skara Brae is the best example of how people lived 5,000 years ago. We’re not that different to our ancestors.”

“On the far curving shore of the bay lies Skara Brae, hazy through the sea-haar.” George Mackay Brown, Rockpools and Daffodils, An Orcadian Diary

Brodgar’s ancient henge

Five miles to the south is the Ring of Brodgar. This is another name derived from old Norse, this time Bruar-gardr or Bridge Farm. Originally this henge was made up of 60 standing stones, each six degrees apart in a perfect circle measuring 340ft (103.7m). Today, 27 stones remain standing, varying between 7ft (2.1m) and 15ft (4.6m) in height. They are all Old Red Sandstone, perhaps coming from several different quarries, as they vary in texture. Some are known to have come from Vestrafiold in Sandwick, over eight miles away. It is possible they were floated more than half of the way over the Loch of Harray. Lightning strikes have shattered two in recent years, while freezing and thawing may have split others. A surrounding rock cut ditch is now 33ft (10m) across. It was originally 16ft (5m) wide and more than 10ft (3m) deep, but has eroded over time. Radiocarbon dating places the digging of the ditch in the third millennium BC. There is no trace of a surrounding earthwork, although an estimated 6,100 cubic yards (4,700 cubic metres) of rock was shifted. There are two entrance causeways, on the northwest and southeast sides. On a calm, clear midsummer dawn or sunset, the Ring of Brodgar is a sublime place to visit. The only sound comes from the birds, as the sun rises over the Rendall Hills. At the summer solstice, sunrise and sunset align with natural notches in the surrounding hills. Outlying standing stones are believed to be markers for specific times of year also. There are theories that the ring was built to celebrate natural events such as these.

The Ring of Brodgar sits within an RSPB reserve. “The Ring and the surrounding nature reserve make up an amazing place,” says Alison Nimmo, RSPB Scotland’s Orkney community engagement officer. “What I love most is the soundscape – the music of the displaying curlews and lapwings in summer. It makes me think of how these stones have always sat in a landscape alive with wildlife, and how important it is that we don’t lose that.” The surrounding meadows are maintained to encourage wildflowers and are only cut late in the season. Northern marsh and early purple orchids are particularly resplendent here. The Ring itself is moorland, with wild cotton, cross-leaved heath and heather. “We look after the Brodgar reserve in a way that provides plenty of nesting spaces and food for different kinds of wading birds. There is also wildflower-rich grassland for bees like the rare great yellow bumblebee,” says Alison.

A narrow crossing

To the south of the standing stones is a narrow peninsula, known as the Ness of Brodgar. This is approximately 870yds (800m) long and 110yds (100m) wide. In 1925 a stone was uncovered decorated with Neolithic lozenges and chevrons. It indicated this has been a crossing point for thousands of years. After geophysical surveys in 2003 showed many structures here, excavations started. These continue annually in late summer. The site is bounded to the north and south by well-built walls, up to 20ft (6m) wide and 328ft (100m) long. Originally 10ft (3m) or more high, the walls were paved on the outside with flagstones. The largest building is 65ft (20m) square with walls 16ft (5m) thick and stonework of remarkable quality. All the buildings have side chambers built into the walls and central fireplaces. They were at least partly roofed by flagstone slates. Dressers and central hearths similar to those at Skara Brae were present. However, the scale of the buildings and lack of evidence for long-term occupation suggests they were not houses for living in. It is possible this was a meeting place for social, religious, community or business reasons. There is a general lack of household rubbish and so far no small buildings have been discovered. The oldest radiocarbon dates found so far are from 3200-3100BC, while the latest are from approximately 2200BC. Large quantities of Grooved Ware pottery have been found. Other items include polished mace heads, carved and incised stones, a carved whale’s tooth and stones with peck marks. Painted stones have been built into interior walls. These were decorated using iron pigments mixed with animal fat or egg whites to create the yellow, red and brown coatings. Some have scratched designs, which would have been obvious when new. These resemble other incised Neolithic artwork. “The discoveries are unparalleled in British prehistory,” says Nick Card. He is the project manager for the archaeological dig here. “The complexity of finds is changing the whole vision of what the landscape was 5,000 years ago. They show that it’s of a scale that almost relates to the classical period in the Mediterranean with walled enclosures and walled precincts. The site could be more important than Stonehenge.”

Neolithic cathedral

Five minutes drive to the southeast of the Ness sits Orkney’s largest and finest chambered cairn, Maeshowe. This mound is considered to be one of the greatest architectural achievements of Neolithic Europe. An Icelandic saga, the Orkneyinga Saga, refers to it as Orkahaugr, the Mound of the Orks. Another derivation may be the Old Norse Mathhaugr, meadow mound. It was built on a levelled area with a surrounding bank and ditch, peat from the bottom of which has been dated to 2750BC. The 115ft (35m) diameter mound is 23ft (7m) high. It was designed and constructed with great attention to detail. The large dressed slabs are skilfully set together and were finished by master stonemasons. The chamber is 48ft (14.6m) square and approximately the same in height. A tapered standing stone faces each corner buttress, giving an impression of space and strength. The original interior roof may have been 20ft (6m) high, but was replaced after being broken into by the excavators in 1861. Within the walls are three cells, originally sealed with stone blocks now on the floor. The entrance passage, 48ft (14.6m) long and 4½ft (1.4m) high, is lined with huge slabs, the largest weighing over 30 tonnes. The overriding impression is of a Neolithic cathedral, not a simple tomb. When opened in 1861, the building was empty bar a piece of human skull, and some horse bones. The Vikings visited Maeshowe during the 12th century and have left one of the largest collections of runes anywhere. There are also carvings of a dragon, a serpent and a walrus.

Thriving port

Five miles from Maeshowe, and six from Yesnaby, is Stromness. Blessed with a natural harbour, this busy port is home to lobster and crab boats. Rows of stone houses, their gable ends facing the sea, each have a small pier or slipway. Twisting and turning between the houses is The Street. This meanders through the town, changing its name along the way. From the north, it runs through Ferry Road, Victoria Street and Graham Place among other names. Narrow closes, with evocative names such as Hellihole, open onto The Street. Between 1688 and 1815, wars and privateers made the English Channel dangerous. Instead, much shipping took the northabout route around Britain. Businesses in Stromness supplied them with stores, before they departed far and wide. Ships from the Hudson’s Bay Company, a trading company in Canada and North America, called here for supplies. For up to 200 years, until 1891, when the trade in beaver fur declined, they also hired local men to work in the ‘Nor’ Waast’. Whaling was another source of employment. From the late 18th century, ships bound for Greenland stopped at Stromness to take on young men as crew. In 1816, 34 whaling ships called in.

Time to reflect

In Alfred Street, overlooking the bay, such connections are brought to life in Stromness Museum. “The museum has a fantastic collection of artefacts from around the world and back home,” says Janette Park. She is the museum’s honorary curator. “Geographical remoteness is a modern phrase but when you think of past centuries, Orkney was on the main seafaring highway to the new world. Orcadians travelled widely through careers as sailors, sea captains, whalers, naval personnel or to work for the Hudson’s Bay Company. “Tools of their trades, gifts from friends made in exotic lands, or souvenirs from different cultures are all displayed here. The thing I love about this museum is that it is understated, but international. It provides the chance to reflect on the people who went before us. The things they gave to the museum represent their lives, achievements and things that mattered to them.”

Man and nature together

In early summer, the long days bring an exceptional clarity of the light. Wild flowers colour the land while bird calls fill the air. With its mysterious ancient monuments and spectacular sea cliffs, this small part of Orkney is a marvellous combination of both natural and manmade wonders.

island festivals The Orkney Traditional Folk Festival is being held from 26-29 May. In June the town shares events and performances of the St Magnus Festival with Kirkwall. This year’s annual festival celebrating the arts is the 40th and takes place on 16-26 June.

The Castle of Yesnaby, a two-legged Old Red Sandstone pillar that stands in a sheltered cove washed by the Atlantic.

The tiny Primula scotica flowers first in May, but may have a second blooming later in the summer (right). An artist at work, drawing P. scotica (far right). Puffins on the cliffs near Yesnaby. The Noust of Bigging, a sheltered cove where farmers pulled up their boats until recently. Stromatolites, fossils of blue-green algae, help provide ancient records of life on earth.

The intact stone houses of Skara Brae give a rare glimpse into Neolithic life on Orkney. Christopher Walker is a steward for Historic Environment Scotland.

› Overlooking the white beach of the Bay of Skaill, Skara Brae is the best-preserved group of prehistoric houses in western Europe.

RSPB community engagement officer Alison Nimmo looks after the nature reserve that surrounds the Ring of Brodgar. During early summer, waders and ducks breed in the wetland. One of the many carved stones unearthed at the Ness of Brodgar. It has the finest collection of Neolithic carved stone in Britain. The finest chambered tomb in north-western Europe, Maeshowe is 5,000 years old.

Leading the excavations at the Ness of Brodgar is Nick Card, senior projects manager at the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology of the University of Highlands and Islands (ORCA). Vikings inscribed the inner walls of Maeshowe, often leaving their names, such as “Thorfinn wrote these runes”.

The bustling port of Stromness. Along with displays on whaling, fishing and shipping, Stromness Museum (below) has one about the German Grand Fleet, which was scuttled in Scapa Flow in June 1919. Honorary curator Janette Park examines one of the exhibits (bottom). The flagged Street, with cobbles down the middle, runs through Stromness.