App uses drones to take time travellers around Orkney’ s Neolithic past

Visitors can take a digital tour to discover the stories that shaped Orkney, thanks to a new app.

More than 90 different stories are available on the web app designed to enrich exploration of Orkney’s various heritage sites.

It features interviews with archaeologists and drone footage of local Neolithic settlements like Skara Brae that make up the heart of the Neolithic Orkney Unesco World Heritage Site.

With the tour from Historic Environment Scotland, app users from anywhere in the world can enjoy a glimpse into some of the islands’ less accessible sites such as Taversöe Tuick Chambered Cairn with the help of 3D digital models.

They can also find out more about the Orkney Venus, a Neolithic figurine found at the site which serves as the earliest known depiction of a human face.

The guide can be downloaded to be used without mobile data or signal – handy for visiting more remote locations.

Users will be able to discover the rich history of 35 Historic Scotland sites across Orkney’s 10 islands, from Neolithic houses and standing stones to chambered burial cairns and military installations.

The two main narrators of the guide are Orcadians Dave Gray and Helen Foulis, with a wide range of guest presenters and leading historians.

Storytellers also share infamous tales such as the killing of St Magnus, and those of Orkney’s own

George Mackay Brown and Sir Walter Scott.

Andrew Burnet, interpretation manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said they were delighted to share the new audio guide app.

“With cutting-edge PWA technology, not only does the app combine audio narration with high-quality drone and 3D scan videos, but once loaded it also enables users to enjoy the guide without being reliant on mobile service, making it more accessible,” said Mr Burnet.

“In Scotland’s Year of Stories, this new digital tour brings to life the rich heritage of the islands in 90 stories. It is a fantastic opportunity to present more of the islands’ rich archaeological and cultural history – told by a range of presenters, including

Orcadian voices, our own site staff and leading specialists – to create a truly immersive way to explore the stories behind one of Scotland’s World Heritage Sites.”

Culture Minister Neil Gray, who is an Orcadian himself, said he “couldn’t be more thrilled” about the new app.

“The fascinating stories about the history of these special places will be brought to life in particular by the drone footage and 3D models which will provide intriguing views of some of the less accessible and remote sites in the Orkney isles,” he added.

The digital tour is available as a purchase option when buying an online ticket to one of Historic Environment Scotland’s staffed properties in Orkney.

BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: A new web app uses drone images and audio stories to give visitors to Orkney a new insight into the rich historical treasures of the islands, such as the Neolithic settlement at Skara Brae.