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Neolithic village
Skara Brae
Village about 5,000 years old, uncovered by a storm in 1850; houses keep stone dressers and box beds, and a replica shows a full interior.
A mini guide to
Stromness & the West Mainland
Skara Brae, Maeshowe and the stone circles, Stromness harbour and the cliffs of Birsay and Yesnaby
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
Skara Brae, Maeshowe and the stone circles, Stromness harbour and the cliffs of Birsay and Yesnaby
The West Mainland holds the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site: Skara Brae, a village about 5,000 years old on the Bay of Skaill, the chambered tomb of Maeshowe, and the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar on the strip of land between two lochs. The Ness of Brodgar, excavated from 2003 to 2024, lies between the stone circles.
Stromness, a harbour town of about 1,700 people, is the port for the NorthLink ferry from Scrabster and has the Pier Arts Centre and Stromness Museum. To the north, Birsay has the tidal Brough of Birsay and a ruined earl's palace, and the Broch of Gurness looks across Eynhallow Sound to Rousay; Yesnaby's sandstone cliffs are just south of Skara Brae.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Historic house
Skaill House
House near Skara Brae built in 1620 by Bishop Graham, shown as the 1950s family home, with Captain Cook's dinner service; open since 1997.
Sea cliffs and nature reserve
Marwick Head
RSPB reserve on cliffs nearly 90 metres high south of Birsay, where thousands of seabirds nest in summer; walk up from Marwick Bay.
Brewery
The Orkney Brewery
Brewery at Quoyloo with a visitor centre for tours, a shop and the Tasting Hall café; closed for the season until March 2027.
Stone circle and henge
Ring of Brodgar
Stone circle and henge of the third millennium BC: 36 of the original 60 stones survive, some 4.7 metres tall, inside a rock-cut ditch.
Stone circle and henge
Stones of Stenness
Four upright stones up to 6 metres high from a circle of 12, possibly the earliest henge monument in the British Isles.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Stromness & the West Mainland and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Mind the tide at Birsay
Historic Environment Scotland says the Brough of Birsay causeway can be crossed only at low tide, so check tide times first.
2
Book Maeshowe
Entry to Maeshowe is by timed ticket from Historic Environment Scotland, so plan your day around the slot.
3
Ness Battery tours
Ness Battery is seen on guided tours of just over an hour; there are no toilets on site, but there are some at Stromness pier head and the Point of Ness campsite.
4
Stay back from the edge
Yesnaby's cliffs have sea stacks, blowholes and often rough seas below; keep well back from the edge, especially in wind.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Stromness & the West Mainland (area photo): Dr. John F. Burka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Skara Brae: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Skaill House: Wojsyl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Marwick Head: David Wyatt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Orkney Brewery: Andrew Riley, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ring of Brodgar: Stevekeiretsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Stones of Stenness: Otter at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: Hopmans), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Maeshowe Chambered Cairn: Otter at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: Hopmans), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ness of Brodgar: genevieveromier profile, CC BY 2.0, source
- Barnhouse Settlement: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Unstan Chambered Cairn: Bruce McAdam from Reykjavik, Iceland, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stromness Museum: Unukorno, CC BY 4.0, source
- Pier Arts Centre: John Ireland, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ness Battery: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Brough of Birsay: Chmee2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Earl's Palace, Birsay: Van de Beek at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Broch of Gurness: Rob Burke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Scapa Flow, the South Isles & Hoy: Gregory J Kingsley, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- North Isles: Rousay, Westray & beyond: MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kirkwall & central Mainland: Robert Scarth, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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