Neolithic, Timeless, Norse
Orkney is packed with more history per mile than almost anywhere else on earth. The “Mainland” (as the biggest island is known) is home to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, featuring the Ring of Brodgar and the perfectly preserved stone village of Skara Brae, which predates the Pyramids and Stonehenge. The cliffs at Yesnaby and the Old Man of Hoy (a 449ft sea stack) showcase the raw power of the ocean carving into the red sandstone.
In the capital, Kirkwall, the towering St Magnus Cathedral stands as a masterpiece of red and yellow sandstone, built by Vikings nearly 900 years ago. The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm—built by prisoners of war—offers a moving, delicate contrast to the rugged coast. In the whisky distillery the malt is smoked by 4,000-year-old heather peat. Whether you’re exploring shipwrecks in Scapa Flow or eating local seafood or beremeal bannocks, you’re in for something truly timeless in this gem of a place.
