Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands

Much of today was exploring the Main Island of the Orkney Islands.  The morning was spent at two Neolithic sites:   the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar.  The Standing Stones of Stenness (think Stonehenge) were constructed between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago for some kind of ceremony.  Only four of the 12 original stones remain standing.  The Ring of Brodgar is a near perfect circle that contained 60 standing stones; however, only 36 standing stones remain.  You can walk and touch these stones at the two sites; I understand that’s not allowed at Stonehenge (which I will be visiting later in the cruise).

The next stop was a Skara Brae which is an archaeological dig of homes of the Neolithic period (5000 years ago).  Their homes were surrounded by earth for protection from the elements.  There was a ceiling structure with a hole to allow smoke to escape.  This settlement is right on the Atlantic Ocean.  The owner of the manor house, Skaill House, is located nearby and it dates back to 1620.  A later owner of this mansion was the discoverer of the ruins at Skara Brae. 

The ship arrived in Kirkwall, Scotland.  It's part of the Orkney Islands which is an archipelago of 70 islands.

Here's my photo of the Standing Stones of Stenness.

My shot of some of the stones in the Ring of Brogdar.

Here's one of my photos of heather which grows on the peat.  Peat is used as a fuel for cooking and heat.

The entrance to the Ring of Brogdar.  In Neolithic times there were 60 stones making up this ring.

A reconstruction of the homes that folks lived in about 5000 years ago in Northern Scotland. 

The remains of the village known as Skara Brae.

Here's my photo of Skaill House taken from the archaeological remains from Skara Brae.

A look into the home in Skara Brae.  Only about 50 people made up this cluster of homes.

The homes of Skara Brae were connected by paths.  The settlement is on the Atlantic Ocean.

Agriculture and livestock (sheet, cattle, goats) is an important part of the way of life in the Orkney Islands.

A look at one of the rooms in the Skaill House.

The Orkney Islands are far north in the UK.  Days are long in the summer, but very short in the winter.