I have now had the pleasure of visiting some of the oldest manmade structures in Europe including: Broch of Clickimin in Shetlands, Ġgantija in Malta, Jarlshof in Shetlands, Newgrange in Ireland, La Hougue Brae in the island of Jersey, Stonehenge and now Skara Brae. 17 of the oldest are in Scotland, more than any other country so I have my work cut out for me!
But how to get there? The next bus was scheduled for 3 days hence so I stuck out my thumb. I saw a guy drive by in a wee car that looked like it held his every possession look at me as he passed. About 10 minutes later he came back asking me where I was headed. Charlie Holland was a Scouser like my grand pop and had come to Orkney to fill a position as cab driver. There would be little work now but he wanted to be comfortable with the place when tourists arrived. I told him where I was aiming and he said, that was the first place I wanted to know so off we went. Instead of the 1-2000 visitors that might arrive in the summer there were 6 of us which is why there are no punters on the photos.
The visitors center at Skara Brae includes this reproduction of what a completed house would look like. There was an altar, maybe a display shelf or simply a dresser, and stone framed beds that were then filled with grass and mosses and covered with furs most likely sheep.
It appears that at the most there were no more than 50 villagers at once. Since there are no trees on Orkney, the wood they would use for fuel & roof supports (covered in skins and then earth, would have drifted from Canada. They used whale ribs too.
As you walk to the main sight there are these plaques referencing important historical dates leading back through time to the construction of Skara Brae almost 5000 years ago
No mortar or concrete remember, all dry wall construction. And the place would not look any better in summer.
Since the roofs were all wood, whalebone and hides, they were long gone. Skara Brae was used from 3100 BC to 2500 BC. Scientists still don’t know why it was abandoned and eventually sands covered all. A terrific storm in 1850 exposed the foundations and the site was then excavated.
This stone lintel supported the doorway
This farm sits by. A quick trip to the Ring of Brodgar and back to Stromness where I bought Charlie lunch as a thank you.
{ 0 comments… add one now }