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Where it's at
Skara Brae is Northern Europe's most well preserved
prehistoric village. In Orkney's Bay O'Skaill in Sandwick,
this is the central site for visitors to the remote Northern
Islands of Orkney off the coast of Northeast Scotland. The
whole community was hidden under sand until 1850 when a massive
storm blew away the sand and exposed this historic site underneath.
The site became known as Skerrabra. Four ancient houses
were uncovered in the sand which were thought to have been
inhabited for at least 600 years. It was at the time thought
to be an Iron Age settlement but recent radio carbon dating
dates the period much earlier to Neolithic (Stone Age), around
3,000 BC. Because of the protective sands and cold temperatures,
the remains are remarkably well preserved with even the original
walls and stone roofs remaining intact. Skara Brae is always
a threatened site because of the fierce Orkney weather but
it is being preserved.
People of Skara Brae
The people of Skara Brae's main source of food came from the
seas - whale, fish & shell fish as well as domestic animals
like cows, wild boar, red deer and venison. They were advanced
people for their time, and developed a sophisticated drainage
system pre-empting the toilet. The houses were sunk in the
ground to protect against the harsh Orkney winds and provide
insulation. Everything was constructed from stone, from the
dry stone walls to beds and other furniture as Orkney is a
land devoid of trees. Visiting the site today you can see
ancient furniture made out of stone, and other artefacts made
from whalebone, timber and skins. The people of Skara Brae
were artistic, producing pottery called Grooved Ware,
which was highly-decorated large vessels with moulded rims
and designs cut into the surface.
The hearth place was the centre of village life, as people
would gather in each other's dwellings to wile away the long
winter evenings. The houses in the village were all linked
together so you didn't need to step outside to visit your
neighbours. This was a close knit community of around 100
- 150 people. It is thought that the village wasn't abandoned
overnight but slowly subject to migration as the close clan
culture of the Stone Age began to fall apart in favour of
individual settlements in the Iron Age.
One unusual theory is that the original settlers came from
Egypt around 3 - 4,000 BC, ending up in this far flung
corner of the world accidentally during a ship wreck and were
unable to escape as no trees or shipbuilding materials were
available. This would explain how these people were so far
evolved. They built their look-out where they landed either
for better protection, or hope of rescue. Egyptian hieroglyphics
translating as "MER" meaning both pyramid and Egypt
in Egyptian are found in the settlements. This theory remains
somewhat speculative.
Getting to Orkney
Orkney is remote and expensive to get to, but well worth
the effort. It's a 90 minute flight from Glasgow or Edinburgh
to Kirkwall Airport on the Island or you can fly from
Aberdeen or Inverness. It's also easy to make the connection
from further south in Birmingham, London & Manchester
airports. During the summer, flights can get heavily booked
out and there are no flights on Sundays so don't get caught
out - book in advance.
Within Orkney flights between the islands are operated by
Loganair on behalf of British Airways. There is also
a "flying visit" to Fair Isle. For inter-island
reservations Tel: + 44 (0)1856 872494 or 873457.
From the mainland, you can take a ferry from the city of
Aberdeen or a small cruise from Pentland Firth or Scrabster
on the Coast. If you're travelling by car, the closest crossing
is Gills Bay in Caithness or foot passengers
can take a ferry from John O'Groats - the Mainland's
most Northern point.
There are plenty of B & Bs, hotels and holiday flats
to stay in - but book well ahead, this is a popular attraction. |
