Impressive stand of stones with lots of history. Seems the stones came from different areas of…read moreScotland.

The Ring of Brodgar is another site that I had never heard of before embarking on our cruise of the…read moreBritish Isles. So, it made for another fascinating discovery to learn a little about and take some pics. It is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is estimated that the Ring of Brodgar was built around 2500BC to 2000BC. That would make it older than the famous Stonehenge!!! It is believed that this stone circle (which is surrounded by a ditch) originally had 60 stones of varying sizes. Only 27 of the stones are still standing today. It is a site of ritual and ceremony, and is surrounded by beautiful landscape. Very popular attraction especially during Sunset. Cool to see in person!! Historic and beautiful! Definitely visit when you are in this part of Scotland.

An amazing preserved neolithic site (5000 years ago). You walk along a reverse timeline path to the…read moresite. Or if handicapped, can take an electric scooter (first come), which is a wonderful perk. Amazing history and then there's Skaill House to view as well. A must see.

Skara Brae is a fantastic look into the past. To stand there and look into the living conditions…read moreof pre iron age people in the Neolithic period is just incredible. The story of the discovery of this place due to a storm that uncovered it, the items left behind as if they just got up and walked away, the cleverness of the planning of the construction with no modern tools. This place is truly amazing and most definitely worth the visit. You're actually standing in a stone age village and can walk through looking down into the ancient dwellings.

Stones seemed mystical in this location. First thought it was for ceremonial use but later thought…read moreto be a part of everyday life here.

Amazing to see, even better to experience and stand under. Druid history on the Isle of Orkney…read more This is a must see!

This is cool place to explore Neolithic ruins and lots of little chambers to explore and look…read morearound. It was less cool than Jarlshof in Shetland, but still pretty neat--especially if you're just hanging out in Orkney. Even in the wind and driving rain near the water, it was still fun to climb around and explore the ruins. There are lots of little chambers you can climb into and play games around. The kids really enjoyed it. Smaller and less interesting than Jarlshof in Shetland, but still a nice stop.

This is a ruined Iron-Age broch and associated prehistoric village from around the first or second…read morecentury BC, with an absolutely spectacular setting, at the end of a promontory overlooking Eynhallows Sound and the island of Rousay. Brochs are unique to Scotland, and their exact function is still not precisely known. Essentially, a broch is a tower, originally about 10m high, with a double wall with passages in it, and a central area presumed to have been open to the air. The towers taper slightly to the towards the top, giving them a shape akin to power station cooling towers. There was usually a single, low entrance to the tower from the outside, and no windows to the outside, but small openings to the interior. Some of them are isolated, and others form part of iron-age villages, but are nearly always by the sea. The most commonly accepted theory is that they were defensive structures, which could be easily sealed off from attackers: livestock would shelter in the central area, and the inhabitants in the spaces within the walls. As well as protection, their height may have provided a look-out function as well. Locations close to the sea were always vulnerable to pirates and other sea-faring enemies, so the locals would need somewhere to escape to quickly. In the case of Gurness, the broch was part of a village complex, which also had an outer wall, and three ramparts for additional defence. The broch itself was probably about 8m (26ft) high, and 20m (65ft) in diameter, which is rather wider than the classic broch shape. The village may have had about 40 families at its peak, but had declined and appears to have been abandoned around 100AD. The stones were then taken from the broch for other buildings - a trend that appears to have been kept up throughout history, so that the broch is now only 3.5m high. The site was then occupied by successive waves of immigrants, from the Scottish Picts in the 5th century, to the Vikings, who appear to have used the site for a burial. Thereafter, the site seems to have been left alone until the excavations in 1929 revealed the true extent of the site. Facilities at the site are fairly basic: there is a car-park, and a small ticket-office and shop, with an interpretation display. Some of the site is accessible by wheelchair via the grassy slopes, but assistance is recommended, and it is not suitable in wet weather. The site is 180m from the car park and, for those intrepid enough to get there by bus (route 96), it's a 45 minute walk from the village of Evie. There are also tours of this and other archeological sites organised from Kirkwall - enquire at Tourist Information. If you are driving, it is easy to make a day-long circuit of Orkney Mainland which takes in Maeshowe, Skara Brae, the circles at Stenness and Brodgar, and Gurness.

The Gloup is essentially a collapsed sea cave. If you have a boat small enough you can actually…read moresail right into it. Lots of people come out here to see it, as it makes an absolutely stunning location; the photo doesn't do it justice. There is also a walk you can do starting here and going round to the brough of Deerness, which is a tiny Island only just attached. There is a set of steps connecting it in order to walk on to it, but be careful as it is still situated among cliff tops. Then from here you can proceed to The Mull head nature reserve. The whole thing is a very long walk but worth it as there are some jaw-dropping views to see and as it is right out in the middle of no-where, it's quiet and peaceful. If you are trying to get here, it is best to follow a map as it is out in the countryside which means a lack of road signs or names. You can always ask for directions as the local people are friendly and will point you in the right direction.

Castle Sinclair up here in the very north is a smaller ruin, but one of the most impressive ones…read morewe've visited. And we've visited many. The location is really just breathtaking, sitting here by the sea on the cliffs. Dunnottar castle has a similar location and is bigger, but this one here is equally impressive I'd say. In 1379, the Earldom of Orkney passed by marriage to Henry Sinclair. It was possibly him who first built a castle here which he called Castle Girnigoe. Then it was remodelled and redeveloped in the 1400s with more work done in the 1500s and 1600s. In 1680 a party of men led by George Sinclair stripped it of roofs, floors and furniture. Now the ruins still sit there on the rock formations, making it a very impressive sight when you approach it. It's an easy, short and flat walk from the carpark. Nowadays the castle is easy to access via a bridge built in 2008. A lot of the ruins are open to explore. You even can walk a short path down to the shore. It's a real fun place to explore. And it's still a bit of a hidden gem. We really only met few visitors on this pretty sunny summer day. There's not even any entrance fee - I'm suprised that this isn't more popular. A real highlight and definitely a must-do when up here in the North.

This once impregnable medieval stronghold is now the most spectacular ruin in the North of Scotland…read moreis a extremely wonderful and historic place to visit, it has spectacular views over the north sea as it is right on the cliff edge, which is great news for bird watchers and the marine wildlife is great you might catch a sight of orca whales dolphins and seals. It has just had new path ways and bridges erected so it is easier to access.

Hoy is the second largest of the Orkney Islands, but has a tiny population of around 270, mostly…read moreconcentrated in the east of the island. The west side is much quieter (and Hoy is pretty quiet already) and consists effectively of just two settlements, the hamlet of Rackwick and Quoyness village. The Old Man of Hoy is the island's most famous attraction. It's a spectacular sea-stack, over 137m (450ft) high. As well as its height, the vivid red sandstone makes it an astonishing sight. The sandstone actually sits on a bed of hard (and very ancient) basalt rock. The stack itself may only be about 400 years old in its present form, as pictures and descriptions from earlier times refer only to a headland here, and it is thought that the stack was created by a series of storms in the 17th century. Erosion continues, so it is only a matter of time before the whole stack collapses. It's a challenging climb (for very experienced climbers only), and was only first ascended in 1966. Around 50 people a year attempt the climb these days, with several routes to choose from. Dangers include loose rocks, its sheer verticality and, of course, the incredibly changeable weather. (And once you get to the top, there's no alternative but to climb back down again, unless you've booked a helicopter). Amazingly, people have spent the night on the small grassy patch on the top. Not for the faint hearted! The easiest way to get a view is from the Thurso-Stromness ferry, although the stack is not terribly distinct as the background of the cliffs reduces the impact. The best way is to make a day trip from Stromness on the passenger ferry to Hoy (Quoyness), and then either hire a bike or take a taxi across to Rackwick. From there it is a 45 minute walk on a good, though steep, path to the cliffs at Hoy. (The care ferry goes to the other end of the island and is rather infrequent). The cliffs themselves are amazing enough, being some of the highest in the British Isles, but the stack is just astonishing. As well as the geology, the plant and animal life here is plentiful. It's a particular haven for rock-nesting birds, and insects. In my book, it is one of those places everyone should visit at least once in their life.

An awesome place to visit as all of Orkney, before going abroad see what the British Isles have to…read moreoffer. One the great sites in UK

Very dynamic walk only during low tide to the lighthouse. Beautiful coastal cliffs with puffins!read more

Cool island only reachable at low-tied with some ~1000-year-old ruins and a lighthouse. Fun, but…read morenot the most amazing example of any of the three. So, the coolest part about this is that it's kind of a magic island that you can only get to for about an hour either side of low tide. That's just really cool and appeals to kids especially. It's basically a secret island. Beyond that, there's some ruins of a church and settlements that go back, but they are far from the most interesting such ruins on Orkney. There's also a cool old lighthouse, but again, probably not the coolest lighthouse and you can't go in or tour it. Lastly there's some sea cliffs and rugged Scottish coast, but again not the best you can find--even on Orkney. You can combine it with a visit to the tea room (which has a view of the Borough) and wander around the Earl's palace ruins, which make it a more full outing, but the key thing is whether you like the idea of a secret island you can only reach a low tide or not.