Scara Brae is a Neolithic settlement on the coast of the Orkney Islands that was once completely covered in sand until a freak storm in 1850 uncovered it. Likely because it had been hidden for so long (and therefore not exposed to the elements of the far northern Scottish coast and all the extreme weather patterns to be expected there), the site is one of the best preserved prehistoric settlements in Europe.
This picture shows one of the homes complete with stone beds, dressers, and tools.
As an Archaeologist, and Historian, especially interested in British History, Scara Brae was at the top of my list of places I needed to visit, but it had been put off many times because Orkney is not easy to get to. Being off the Northeastern edge of Scotland, across a ferry, and on a very cold island, it’s not everyone’s ideal. But finally in spring of 2017, we decided to take a tour with Rabbies.com that visited the island as part of a 5-day Highlands & Orkney tour. And the trip was well worth it. In fact, I hope to do it again, on my own next time, so that I might spend more time truly exploring the island and it’s prehistoric offerings.
For more information, here’s the page on Visit Scotland.
