Orkney’s ancient wonders | The West Australian

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Orkney’s ancient wonders | The West ***********

Located where the Atlantic Ocean buffets the North Sea, just north-east of mainland Scotland, the islands of Orkney are blessed with enthralling land and seascapes. But history buffs and archaeologists are also in their element here, with the archipelago rich in ancient relics. A cluster form a UNESCO World Heritage site labelled the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. These spots are easy to visit on a tour or with your hire car, scattered a short drive from one another on the largest island, known simply as Orkney (or Mainland), where ferries and cruise ships call in at the ports of Kirkwall and Stromness.

Overlooking a dazzling white-sand, turquoise-watered bay on Orkney’s west coast, Skara Brae was ******* in sand for centuries before a fierce winter storm exposed the sunken ******** of its stone houses in 1850. It was an incredible find as this village dates back about 5000 years, with settlers eking out a life here way before the Pyramids of Giza were erected. You can walk around Skara Brae’s grass-edged ruins and enter a reconstructed replica of one of the stone houses, which grants an insight into neolithic life. Among its adornments are stone bed enclosures and a grill for cooking ocean-fresh fish and lobsters.

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