By the seashore, this sturdy stone-built farmhouse and storeroom are solidly built testimony to crofting life on Papa Westray island…5500 years ago. An astonishing sight, it's one of the best-preserved neolithic houses in northern Europe. As with Skara Brae, you can see various stone furnishings and compartments in the house; the adjacent building was an add-on that appears to have been used to store food and perhaps tools. It's a half-mile stroll from Beltane, down the bottom of a cow paddock.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.82 MILES
Predating Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza, extraordinary Skara Brae is one of the world's most evocative prehistoric sites, and northern Europe’s best…
26.33 MILES
Constructed about 5000 years ago, Maeshowe is an extraordinary place, a Stone Age tomb built from enormous sandstone blocks, some of which weighed many…
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25.52 MILES
Constructed from local red sandstone, Kirkwall's centrepiece, dating from the early 12th century, is among Scotland's most interesting cathedrals. The…
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14.92 MILES
Six miles from the ferry on Rousay, mighty Midhowe Cairn has been dubbed the 'Great Ship of Death'. Built around 3500 BC and enormous, it's divided into…
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26.41 MILES
This distillery, South of Kirkwall's centre, is great to visit. Despite a dodgy Viking rebrand, it's a serious distillery that malts its own barley; see…
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3.87 MILES
A half-mile west of Pierowall stands this sturdy ruined tower house, built in the 16th century by Gilbert Balfour, aide to Mary, Queen of Scots. The…
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16.74 MILES
Here is a fine example of the drystone fortified towers that were both a status symbol for powerful farmers and useful protection from raiders some 2200…
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21.01 MILES
At low tide – check tide times at any Historic Environment Scotland site – you can walk out to this windswept island, the site of extensive Norse ruins,…
Nearby Orkney attractions
0.36 MILES
On a historic farm in the centre of Papa Westray, this tiny museum is packed full of objects from the everyday life of the island's past. Agricultural…
0.65 MILES
This pretty church stands near the shore surrounded by a picturesque graveyard. Papa Westray was the cradle of Christianity in Orkney, and this was…
0.87 MILES
This 18th-century seaweed shed has been impressively restored and holds an interesting exhibition on Papa Westray's history and craft traditions.
1.49 MILES
This uninhabited island just off the eastern shore of Papa Westray is notable for its three chambered cairns, the largest of which (South Cairn) is most…
3.62 MILES
This heritage centre has displays on local history, nature dioramas and archaeological finds, with some famous neolithic carvings (including the 5000-year…
3.87 MILES
A half-mile west of Pierowall stands this sturdy ruined tower house, built in the 16th century by Gilbert Balfour, aide to Mary, Queen of Scots. The…
5.75 MILES
This bird reserve at Westray's northwestern tip is a dramatic area of sea cliffs, with vast numbers of breeding seabirds from April to July. You can walk…
8. Eday Heritage & Visitor Centre
11.39 MILES
Set in a former church, this place has a range of local history exhibits, as well as an audiovisual display about tidal energy initiatives: there's a big…