In today's episode I'm exploring the awe-inspiring and
mysterious Neolithic sites on the mainland of the Orkney Isles
Good morning, everybody. Welcome to another dramatic day
it's the first day of our adventure here in Orkney and we are properly
Exploring the island today seeing some of the amazing neolithic sites
we've just had the most amazing breakfast and our B&B here in
Kirkwall the capital of Orkney and we're about to get on the rabbie's bus
Hit the road go for a road trip around these gorgeous islands, and it's pretty warm today guys. There's a heat wave and
For most of the UK. I think it's just to get up to like the mid twenties or something
Which is quite crazy considering how far north we actually are anyway time to hit the road
All right, we've made it first stop today these are the standing stones of Stenness
They're absolutely giant and I'm so excited to be here to show you guys one of these most world-famous sights. They're absolutely enormous
Let's get a closer look
That's unbelievable not when there's even higher
That is so incredibly high, it's unbelievable look at it
so this used to be actually a circle of standing stones, but there are only
Four or five of them up now if you stand here
and look through the gap where the two stones have always been and
Tell me what you see: Maeshowe
Maeshowe is an incredible structure connected to these standing stones and we'll be visiting it at the end
of the day
So make sure you hang around
to see that. we are so incredibly lucky today because it may be the only day of the year
You can do this. You can be out in a t-shirt in Orkney and actually enjoy this breeze
It's a warm breeze coming our way, which is let me tell you for anywhere in Scotland highly unusual
But this far north is incredible
like I said
There is a heat wave in Europe today and we are just enjoying the benefits of it here in Orkney
Plus 20 degrees with a nice t-shirt on nice breeze in the face. It's absolutely perfect. What are they to be?
Exploring this marvelous landscape. That's very unique place
I'm so excited. We're just going off to see the settlement which is close to the the stones of Stenness now
Or you thinking teka, are you excited by all these Neolithic sites?
There's something eerie and truly mystical about these standing stones
and wondering how they would have been put in place by the people of the time is
mind-boggling
Just a few metres from Stenness is another
Spectacular set of standing stones called brodgar and between them is a new site that's currently being
excavated by professional
archaeologists and students which they're calling the ness of brodgar dating to the year 3000 BC and discovered in
2002 the site has already revealed some phenomenal structures and other finds
That are helping experts to piece together the puzzle of these early settlers on art knee
The site even includes what they believe to be a temple
All right, so this place is called the Ring of Brodgar
Which is one of the most famous most spectacular
Stunning stone circles anywhere in the world. I think it's a third largest in the UK and
highly significant for the people
Who made them of the Neolithic Age
It's just fascinating trying to learn and think about what they were used for there's obviously loads of different theories, but
No, we just have to kind of use their imagination really and stand in awe of these amazing structures
The Ring of Brodgar one of the most famous sites in Orkney and obviously very busy. There's a lot of people here today
Checking out the site
If Stenness seems eerie then there's something absolutely otherworldly about the Ring of Brodgar
We may never truly understand the purpose and I think that's part of the wonder of visiting these sites
Were they astronomical in purpose are simply ceremonial. there are theories for both
This is honestly one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen and on a day like this
We were just so lucky. Look at her the ring of brodgar
It's obviously quite far away from where most people in Scotland live right where I
You know 6 or 7 hours from Edinburgh and you could fly of course. So here's the thing, right
I would recommend everybody in Scotland every Scottish person if you've never been to Orkney, you guys need to come here
What are you doing? Look at this place? It's
Just a wonder
Absolute marvel that we have right here in our lands. It's gorgeous and
So fascinating to think about the history of this place what it's all about
I'm kind of feel a bit breathless. I
See in such an absolutely fantastic place
Now I know all right. I am a little bit biased in these matters. Okay. Well my about to tell you I'm definitely biased
however
If you include this ones that we already saw today that you can actually go up and touch and the Ring of Brodgar
That we just saw here these spectacular sights
There is literally no comparison with Stonehenge compared to these amazing sites in Orkney
I've been to Stonehenge before it was alright, but these sites here are just absolutely sensational
From brodgar we took the short drive over to the coast and one of Orkneys best-known neolithic sites
And now we are at the piece de resistance
You could say of Orkney one of the most famous sights here on the islands
One of the most famous tourist attractions in Scotland in the UK, maybe even in the world is certainly a worldwide renowned
skara brae
This is the neolithic village which dates back some
5000 years
many centuries before even
The pyramids of Egypt were constructed. It's a fascinating place and just like looking at the standing stones of Brodger
And wondering about these people this place
We're going to see now skara brae is the actual village where people lived and as I say
It was discovered something like 100 years ago only because of a wild storm and as we walk going this path toward skara brae
We've been going through the timeline of history of events
starting at modern times
Landed on the moon
american independence and we've come all the way don't know know the stone there that says birth of Christ and
We're still thousands of years ahead of skara brae
which is some three and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ events, so
I'm fascinated to go there
See the stones for myself and take a walk through what a privilege to be here on a day like this. The ordinary islands is
Amazing and guess what guys there is a sensational a stunning Beach
Right down here as well
at skara brea
kinda wish I brought my shorts. no look at
Skara brae is the most complete neolithic settlement in all of europe
it is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is
Older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids and is known as the Scottish Pompeii being so close to the ocean
It's thought that the saltiness of the sand dunes has helped to preserve the site. So well
the site dates from the same period as the sites that Brodgar and Stenness
With evidence that the village was inhabited for around 600 years before people abandoned it due to climate change
And this is a site skara brae the series of houses
they discovered in the
1850s after a serious storm here in area and this area is a really fragile state partly because of coastal erosion
But also erosion from many people visiting this site over the years
So if the stuck to the paths, no
But you can get a really really great idea of these houses and how they were. It's an absolutely fascinating place
We're gonna walk around to speak to the guide and see if we can take some photos
Around about and stick to the path obviously, but I'm yeah, it's just it's just an incredible place
this recreation of how the houses may have looked is
truly fascinating with bizarre pieces found in the area also displayed in the museum
All right, so now we have arrived in
Orkneys
Second-biggest town. this is Stromness
We're gonna go for a bit of a walk through here. Sure, you're owned. It's a lovely little port
Check out and see what their sights are. This actually seems to be some kind of festival or something on today
So I think about Orkney is very famous here for pastures and
Dairy products in general very good milk here
and one of the most famous and one of the best things you can eat here I think in ORKNEY is the ice cream or
orkney ice cream is
delicious smooth and I
Just love it
So many alleyways, takes look at this one it goes all the way down to the beach
Cool it's probably someone's garden here, but I
Mean people probably living in them now but probably stood exactly like this for a long time
Wow
I
Mean some of these closes just cool all the way up the hill there, but it really reminds me of being on
On holiday, and maybe when it old quaint Italian villages by the seaside. This is very beautiful and a massive surprise
To be honest, I did not expect to see something like this here in Orkney what a lovely town stromness is, love it
And some of these alleys actually lead to the water so you can come right down
Look at this
This is definitely old fashioned buildings
Still have an old crane here on end of the pier which would have been used I guess for winching the boats
But this look at the sea, this is so cool
And these old buildings here must have been here, you know, I don't know how many countless under the years but they're so cute
StromNess has been the surprise of this trip. It is such a beautiful little town
Very very impressed and we're right next to the water here, and it's absolutely beautiful
Another interesting thing you see here a lot in stromess
Many of the buildings have plaques on them for famous
Important people who used to live here who have done amazing things around the world explorers all sorts
Which is really really cool kind of thing
You could walk around strong nests and take like a whole day and explore and especially today
There's a festival on and music and stuff. But you know what? I've got a lot to see in Orkney
A lot more of the Neolithic sites and stuff so we can't actually stop here, but it's a great little place
Certainly worth taking a time to come here check out some of the amazing and streets and sites and have some ice cream
And whatever else
You might remember at the start of today's video. I mentioned Maeshowe and I'm about to discover why this place
Must be firmly on your plans for visiting Orkney
So that there behind me is maeshowe it's a famous
It's probably the most famous of the neolithic sites here in Orkney
This Neolithic tomb is interesting from its own time period standpoint
But I'm even more fascinated in the visitors who broke into the place a few thousand years later to shelter from a storm
the Vikings
The Viking warriors who broke in here left all kinds of graffiti carved on the walls
And I'm highly fascinated by the translations of what they wrote
I'd recommend you go online and read about these carvings which will give you a whole new perspective on time periods
And changing cultures throughout the ages
My god a narrow passageway to get any no in this place
my neck hurts after that
Perhaps I was too young to appreciate this place when I was here first time, but I can say that on this trip with Robbie's
Orkney has left a lasting impression on me and a heavy appetite to return and spend more time
To book your tour click on the link in the description below
Thank you so much for watching and until the next adventure. Take care