UK Orkney Islands Archaeology Hike

Overview

Orkney packs more Neolithic architecture into a morning's walk than anywhere else in Britain — and it is all older than Stonehenge. The Ring of Brodgar's 36 surviving stones stand on a heather isthmus between two lochs, a short walk from the Stones of Stenness and the Ness of Brodgar dig, where archaeologists have been uncovering a ceremonial complex that upended what we thought Neolithic Britain could build. At Skara Brae you look straight into stone dressers and box beds fitted 5,000 years ago, and at Maeshowe a guide leads you down a low passage aligned so the midwinter sun strikes the back wall. The walking itself is easy coastal and moorland ground; the weather is the variable. Even in June a 40 mph wind off the Pentland Firth can turn a gentle circuit into a battle, so pack a proper shell. Base yourself in Stromness, book Maeshowe tours ahead (they sell out), and budget around £500 for a week of B&Bs, ferries and buses. May to September brings 18-hour daylight and puffins on the cliffs at Yesnaby.

Book This Trip

Plan Your Dates

Prefilled for 1 May 2027 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.