Visit The Neolithic Heart Of Orkney In Scotland

The Neolithic Heart of Orkney, in Scotland, is one of those exciting places for many types of travelers: for lovers of the most distant history, for seekers of mysteries and enigmas and, of course, for those who know how to admire a landscape with its own personality. All of them will love visiting these places.

The Orkney Islands

The Orkney Archipelago is located in the north of Scotland. It is a bunch of islands, up to 70, that have a harsh climate, but surprisingly they have been inhabited from very distant times. Something that is perfectly accredited by the different archaeological elements that make up the Neolithic Heart of Orkney.

It is such a special treasure that Unesco registered it as a World Heritage Site. So well worth a visit. Keep reading and we will make it virtual, and hopefully later you can discover this place in the first person. A place that, like almost everything in Scotland, brings together a dose of history, fantasy and beauty at the same time.

The Neolithic Heart of Orkney

The archaeological site awaits us in the westernmost area of ​​Mainland Island. There are a number of historical attractions there, but the prehistoric character of the Neolithic Heart of Orkney undoubtedly overshadows almost everything else. And it is that at a short distance you can visit up to four different sites, each one more fascinating and interesting.

The Ring or Circle of Brodgar

Perhaps the most emblematic of the entire Neolithic Heart of Orkney is the Ring of Brodgar. It is a megalithic monument that originally consisted of about 60 gigantic stones that formed a circle of more than 100 meters in diameter.

It is, in addition, a construction raised on the ground and that immediately reminds us of the prehistoric monument par excellence of Great Britain: the mysterious Stonehenge.

In fact, the Ring of Brodgar is also a henge. But in this case it has only preserved 27 large stones arranged vertically on the ground. An area surrounded by a great moat 3 meters deep and about 10 wide.

Maeshowe

Another of the outstanding sites of the Neolithic Heart is Maeshowe, which in this case is known to be a tomb. Of course, a huge tomb that consists of a large earth mound whose interior is accessed through a corridor.

The truth is that the interior is fascinating with several chambers created by stone slabs. And it is even more wonderful to know that the place was reused many centuries later, when the Vikings came from the countries of Scandinavia.

The Stones of Stenness

Relatively close to the Ring of Brodgar is another of the points of interest of the Neolithic Heart of Orkney. We refer to the so-called Rocks or Stones of Stenness. In this case, there are four gigantic menhirs, up to 6 meters high, that would form a larger construction, either a cromlech or another small henge.

Historians are in favor of thinking that it would be a cromlech, which would make it the oldest in all of Great Britain, since they have dated the remains to around 3100 BC.

Skara brae

The last of the Neolithic Heart of Orkney sites is to be found in Skaill Bay on Mainland. A whole prehistoric town has appeared there, which is the perfect complement to understand that distant time.

Countless stone tools have been found, as well as others made with whale bones, as well as remains of houses, furniture, ceramics, weapons and even a toilet. In addition, elements have been found in Orkney that confirm that man began to paint their houses since the Neolithic Age.

In short, as we said at the beginning, lovers of history, archeology, enigmas and landscapes, have an appointment in the Neolithic Heart of Orkney, one of the great surprises of Scotland.