Skara Brae is a fantastic Neolithic settlement on the archipelago of Orkney off the northeastern coast of Scotland. It was discovered by chance in 1850 after a harsh winter storm eroded the earth on a headland that exposed the stonework of a hidden village.

A number of amateur excavations lead to further discovery. In 1924 another storm damaged part of one of the houses prompting protection and professional investigation of the site.

The village is said to date back to around 3100BC and is Europe’s best example of a settlement from this period. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Skara Brae is a fascinating insight into the organised community that existed here. Learn about the villagers trade, lifestyle and rituals that were typical of the period.

In total around 50 people lived in the settlement in 10 stone houses. There is much mythology about who the people who lived at Skara Brae where. A recent discovery of grain seeds and fish sculls dispel earlier theories of them being astronomers, early religious crusaders or even having supernatural powers.

In fact the most likely explanation is they were simple farmers or fishermen, perhaps displaced by dominant tribal communities on mainland Scotland.

It is not known when or for what reason the village was abandoned, but the most common believe was climate change around 2500BC made the region colder and wetter, leading the villagers to leave for a warmer southern climate. The villagers left and winter weather lead to sand being blown over the site, preserving it for up to 3,000 years.