Skara Brae
Skara Brae
5
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
About
The Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, near the dramatic white beach of the Bay of Skaill, is one of the best preserved groups of prehistoric houses in Western Europe. Uncovered by a storm in 1850, the attraction presents a remarkable picture of life around 5,000 years ago. Visitors can experience a prehistoric village and see ancient homes fitted with stone beds, dressers and seats. A replica construction allows visitors to fully understand the interior of a prehistoric house.
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See what travelers are saying
- Christine MBowmore, United Kingdom26 contributionsAmazing!Amazing place with an informative exhibition. Next to a beautiful beach if the weather is kind! Helpful and friendly staff. Ticket also covers Skaill house which is well worth a visit with a good shopVisited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 16, 2023
- Struan101Dollar, United Kingdom70 contributionsAn amazing siteAmazing site, incredibly well presented. By creating a walkway around the top of the excavation Historic Scotland allows visitors to view this fascinating site without doing any damage. Skaill House was also really interesting and an added bonusVisited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 19, 2023
- Jill JNorthamptonshire, United Kingdom546 contributionsSkara Brae on the OrkneysWe were fortunate to be able to view Skara Brae & Skaill House on a day trip to the Orkneys. This was included in the itinerary of the visit. After leaving the visitor centre it's a short walk to the Neolithic village which was abandoned around 2500BC. Fascinating insight into life before that time, and found perfectly preserved under a sand dune, with major excavations only 50 years ago. Just amazing. Take a walk back and visit Skaill House if you have time. 400 years of history. Well worth a visit.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 27, 2023
- kathy bFillmore, New York310 contributionsA look way back in historyOur tour bus brought us here..never heard of this Neolithic site. You walk around and the excavated sites have informative writings of what transpired there...was taken back at how many of these finding have been found in scotland a.nd how respectful Scots are to the history they can claim moreover most of these sites are minimally guarded or blocked off leaving them the way they were found..good for you Scotland. I think a short movie to start would be worthwhile as most were unaware of its existancrVisited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 20, 2023
- Mike S1 contributionLiterally mind-boggling - takes a while to grasp what you're actually seeing!We arrived right on last-entry time on a wet, windy Thursday, which definitely didn't leave us long enough to do it justice, but Linda in the main entry/museum building directed us down to the site quickly, and called ahead to Kim, the guide there, to let him know we were on the way down. He welcomed us and gave a great tour with plenty of fascinating info about how the village came to be, what happened there at the time and how it was discovered and is being preserved. This was all delivered in a customised way so as to give us time to get back up to the museum area and whizz round ahead of Linda's locking-up process. We had a very tight schedule and it was either that short visit or nothing at all, but we're very glad it was the former. It justifies a much longer visit to fully take in the incredible nature of what's presented, but Kim, Linda and I'm sure all the other staff make the whole thing an even more fantastic place to visit. Highly, highly recommended!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 15, 2023
- YHZGlobetrotterWaverley, Canada762 contributionsAmazing!Skara Brae was our first “tourist” stop when we arrived in Orkney. Little did I know then that this island was virtually littered with prehistoric sites. Skara Brae, discovered after a fluke storm by mother nature, is a 5000 year old village, older than the pyramids and Stonehenge! It is well kept, pristine and greatly treasured. All underground now, it is situated at the edge of a beach and has been exposed to show how advanced the culture was at that time. Not to be missed.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 16, 2023
- Diana B3 contributionsWonderful!This site provides a wonderful insight into Neolithic life in Orkney. We found it breathtaking & awe-inspiring. Our guide provided a great deal of information that really animated our experience. We had been wanting to visit for years, and it did not disappoint. Do not miss this!Visited January 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 3, 2024
- Michael HMartock, United Kingdom598 contributionsA must do!Wonderful experience, well managed by Historic Scotland. Walking around this small site it is impossible not to be impressed by the archeology and the nature of the settlement occupied so long ago. The setting and the detail in this ancient site makes it a must to visit. The one way path around the site and the guidelines set for large groups makes is a pleasant experience. There is a 500 yard walk to the enclosed site along a gently undulating path with a good surface. There are two benches on the way. The milestones of man’s achievement adds interest on the way. The replica house, the video and the exhibition are well worth a visit.Visited May 2024Traveled with friendsWritten May 11, 2024
- ThreeStarDave113 contributionsRemarkable complex, well worth the price of admissionRemarkable complex of recovered dwellings along the sea-side, occupied some 3000 years ago and over a period of time that then shows change and evolution of the community's needs. A good visitors center, a nice recreation of one of the dwellings as it might have been, and the complex itself. Definitely a place to visit for archaeologically oriented visitors.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 28, 2024
- Paul BChirnside Park, Australia1,051 contributionsSimply AmazingPlease make sure you pre-book, otherwise you may get turned away. This us a great tourist spot, well controlled and a must for all who visit Orkney. The information at the start is great, including a short video. Then a replica house is stunning and after that you get to see the real houses. Just amazing.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Scottish-Hidden-Gems🏴💎
Ayrshire, UK9,161 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
I have wanted to visit skara brae since I can remember, after watching many documentaries and travel shows about it but I cant say it lived upto expectations.
The visitors centre just isn't fit for purpose, the exhibit was tiny, you could barely swing a cat in the room with crowds of people coming in/out and a short video telling you a brief intro behind the story and the cafe has to be the worst historic Scotland cafe I have ever visited.
The cafe had the worst menu I think I've ever seen, I didn't get anything which left me hungry all day as it was our lunch stop on a coach trip, the service in the cafe was terrible as the que just didn't move even after 20 mins, so we then went into the exhibit and then returned again after visiting outside and got stuck in the que again for another 20 mins which never moved again. It was completely shocking service.
Skara brae is a lot smaller in real life but it was nice to see in person but at the price charged, I wasn't impressed.
You would expect the visitor centre to be fantastic as it has to be one of the most popular historic Scotland sites but its unfortunately not!
The visitors centre just isn't fit for purpose, the exhibit was tiny, you could barely swing a cat in the room with crowds of people coming in/out and a short video telling you a brief intro behind the story and the cafe has to be the worst historic Scotland cafe I have ever visited.
The cafe had the worst menu I think I've ever seen, I didn't get anything which left me hungry all day as it was our lunch stop on a coach trip, the service in the cafe was terrible as the que just didn't move even after 20 mins, so we then went into the exhibit and then returned again after visiting outside and got stuck in the que again for another 20 mins which never moved again. It was completely shocking service.
Skara brae is a lot smaller in real life but it was nice to see in person but at the price charged, I wasn't impressed.
You would expect the visitor centre to be fantastic as it has to be one of the most popular historic Scotland sites but its unfortunately not!
Written May 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback for your recent visit to our site. We are disappointed to hear that your visit did not live up to your expectations.
We have introduced capacity limits to enhance the visitor experience. The café has seen an increase of group stopping off for lunch due to a number of hotels that are no longer accepting groups or are closed which makes the space busier than it would usually be. We apologise that this has had a negative impact on your experience in this instance. We are also disappointed to read your comments about our menus. We offer sandwiches which are made fresh daily and there always two types of soup on offer and a range of baking from a the local bakery. Local produce features predominantly in our Café menu at Skara Brae with local cheeses, fish and beef highlighted on our lunch time offer.
Thanks again for writing a review, which we have shared with the site and catering team.
Written July 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
kiwimaxwell
Auchterarder, UK355 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
You must pre-book in these COVID times. We did about 4- weeks before our visit. People were turned away with no booking. Only about half of the exhibition is available and there is a strict one way system. The site itself is in a stunning location and is simply amazing. You walk around and look down into the various houses. We were glad to have visited Broch of Gurness first and had a guided tour as it help so much more at Skara Brae. Skaill House is included in the ticket - we weren’t impressed at all with it but we don’t enjoy looking around such country houses. We were at the whole site about an hour and 20 mins.
Written June 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gene R J
Silver Spring, MD10,551 contributions
May 2022
On our trip from Kirkwall to the Stromness ferry, we saw the Maeshowe mound, Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar before parking in the Skara Brae Visitor Center lot. After paying $24 for 2 seniors and using the clean restrooms, we were directed into the small museum for a 10 minute film. Outside, a posted paved pathway led into a replica of house #7 with 8’ stone walls and a wood pole hide roof, simulating what the 8 foundations of this 3000 BC site would look like. After touring the seashore site, we walked 650’ to the 1620 Skaill House and perused its delightful period rooms.
We were fortunate to spend a sunny day touring the 1999 UNESCO Heart of Neolithic Orkney sites.
We were fortunate to spend a sunny day touring the 1999 UNESCO Heart of Neolithic Orkney sites.
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DaveyB1962
Swindon, UK237 contributions
Jun 2021
This is a fantastic place to visit (although rather exposed to the elements if you go in inclement weather like we did), but the experience was spoilt by a jobsworth in the car park.
I get that they prefer you to pre-book but when someone turns up who hasn't pre booked and you are not very busy (few cars in car park) why do you have to suffer someone in the car park with a clipboard and on a power trip telling you to go away and come back again in 20 minutes - when nothing has changed. All because you havent pre booked or more likely because they like the feeling of power!
Poor, poor, poor customer service - see my review of Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness for how to do things correctly!
I get that they prefer you to pre-book but when someone turns up who hasn't pre booked and you are not very busy (few cars in car park) why do you have to suffer someone in the car park with a clipboard and on a power trip telling you to go away and come back again in 20 minutes - when nothing has changed. All because you havent pre booked or more likely because they like the feeling of power!
Poor, poor, poor customer service - see my review of Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness for how to do things correctly!
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny P
Yerevan, Armenia36 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
The place takes you back in history and allows you to see how people lived 5000 years ago. The Visitor Center is very informative. Plan enough time to take a walk on the nearby beach. Book tickets in advance. If you plan to travel by bus, like I did, check and plan in advance, because buses were running three times per week from Kirkwall when I was there.
Written July 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cooperman64
Albufeira, Portugal398 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
We arrived a little ahead of our pre booked slot after a beautiful drive and my wife asked to visit the loo.
Even though we were the only visitors in the whole building we were told we had to go through the exhibition and round Skara Brae to use the toilet. This is despite the toilets being right next to us and only separated by a tensal barrier. The exhibition is housed in a beautiful building and well presented. Skara Brae itself is beautifully looked after in a dramatic coastal location.
The only member of staff who was pleasant was the lady who was cleaning in the shop, the rest of the team were as cold as a November afternoon in Orkney!!!
Even though we were the only visitors in the whole building we were told we had to go through the exhibition and round Skara Brae to use the toilet. This is despite the toilets being right next to us and only separated by a tensal barrier. The exhibition is housed in a beautiful building and well presented. Skara Brae itself is beautifully looked after in a dramatic coastal location.
The only member of staff who was pleasant was the lady who was cleaning in the shop, the rest of the team were as cold as a November afternoon in Orkney!!!
Written November 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike S
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
We arrived right on last-entry time on a wet, windy Thursday, which definitely didn't leave us long enough to do it justice, but Linda in the main entry/museum building directed us down to the site quickly, and called ahead to Kim, the guide there, to let him know we were on the way down. He welcomed us and gave a great tour with plenty of fascinating info about how the village came to be, what happened there at the time and how it was discovered and is being preserved. This was all delivered in a customised way so as to give us time to get back up to the museum area and whizz round ahead of Linda's locking-up process.
We had a very tight schedule and it was either that short visit or nothing at all, but we're very glad it was the former. It justifies a much longer visit to fully take in the incredible nature of what's presented, but Kim, Linda and I'm sure all the other staff make the whole thing an even more fantastic place to visit. Highly, highly recommended!
We had a very tight schedule and it was either that short visit or nothing at all, but we're very glad it was the former. It justifies a much longer visit to fully take in the incredible nature of what's presented, but Kim, Linda and I'm sure all the other staff make the whole thing an even more fantastic place to visit. Highly, highly recommended!
Written November 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberli G
Edwardsville, IL46 contributions
Oct 2020
Walking back in time and seeing what and how people had lived but more impressive is how new the find is. Also of note, the views from there are spectacular. Once you are in the main building you see and can read about many of the finds. Then the stroll out to the site itself. Wow
Written October 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
23SnapHappy
Buckie, UK147 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
Admission is a little expensive. You have to pay to visit both Scara Brae and Skaill House. This was fine until we realised the walk involved. Myself and my friend are disabled with mobility problems. Once we had walked through the information room and the mock up house, we then had a fair walk to see Skara Brae itself. For a person with no mobility issues this might take about 5mins to walk but it took us nearer 10mins...both ways! Skara Brae is very interesting and it's amazing to see how people might have lived 5,000yrs ago but the centre should make it clear earlier about the walk involved. Because of this, we couldn't visit Skaill House (which involves another walk and even further away from the main visitor centre. I feel visitors should be allowed to choose whether to visit both settings or just one and this be reflected in the admission price. The coffee shop was nice, as was the gift shop. Contrary to the website, we did not have to prebook.
Written April 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John H
Dallas, TX367 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Excellent place to visit to learn about the history of the island from over 4,000 years ago. Amazing how old this area is. Do BOOK AHEAD. We were there mid May and it was still busy, especially if there are cruise boats or other coach tours in town.
You will need a car or tour bus to reach the location on the far side of the island, but it’s worth it. Inexpensive to visit and has the bonus of including the house of the Laird who did much of the work to excavate the side. (Well, he paid for it I guess!)
Good parking by the entrance but it’s quite a treck over an uneven trail to get out to the site so wear good walking shoes or preferably boots. They do show a short film and have a replica house to show what things were probably like.
The Lairds house is wonderful.
They have a small cafe and obligatory gift shop.
You will need a car or tour bus to reach the location on the far side of the island, but it’s worth it. Inexpensive to visit and has the bonus of including the house of the Laird who did much of the work to excavate the side. (Well, he paid for it I guess!)
Good parking by the entrance but it’s quite a treck over an uneven trail to get out to the site so wear good walking shoes or preferably boots. They do show a short film and have a replica house to show what things were probably like.
The Lairds house is wonderful.
They have a small cafe and obligatory gift shop.
Written May 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How should I get out group of 3 to Skara Brea from cruise port? Recommend a taxi to book ahead?
Written May 31, 2023
Taxis are best pre-booked if you have tight schedule. I was unable to book with uber in Orkneys.
Written June 1, 2023
When I went to Skara Brae with my daughter who also had mobility issues she was loaned an electric mobility scooter. It obviously had been bought or donated to the site specifically for that site as it fitted very neatly onto the pathways around the site. There were area`s which remained inaccessible but she enjoyed it so much she works there now as a guide .
Written May 18, 2022
I intend getting the ferry from Scrabster to stromness. How do I get to skara brae from stromness. I will be a foot passenger
Written June 29, 2020
Curiously the 8S service is very infrequent according to the timetables on the Stagecoach website (Google “Stagecoach Orkney” as TA won’t let me post the link) running once a day on Mondays & Thursdays and twice on Saturdays. Also note that due to COVID it’s advisable to book a visiting slot for Skara Brae via the Historic Scotland website..
Written September 27, 2020
I understand that Skara Brae is on the bus tour and cruise ship itineraries. I want to go, but not in a big crowd of people. Would you recommend going late in the day for a better experience?
Written May 27, 2019
We went an hour before closing but this didn’t give us enough time to see everything. I would perhaps go early afternoon.
Written September 11, 2019
I am always looking for the most economical way to travel (the cheaper the cost, the longer I can stay). I would be flying from Newark and want to see Skara Brae and surroundings. Where should I fly to? I know there are Loganair flights from the mainland as well as ferries. I would probably stay in Orkney and hire a car.
Written May 18, 2019
Then Fly to Kirkwall on Loganair and rent a car there. Kirkwall is on "Mainland" as is Skara Brae. Mainland is the main island of Orkney not to be confused with mainland Scotland. The Orkadians say they are going to Scotland. Loganair flies out of Edinburgh and Glasgow although Edinburgh is on the east coast of Scotland. I don't know what their schedules are outside of Orkney. They also fly to many of the Orkney islands, which I have done and recommend as you get to see a lot from that low altitude.
A friend of mine used to fly to Europe a lot. She always flew with British Air because they fly direct to London from many airports in the "States" plus they can get you to your destination faster (ergo wasting less time in transit). They cost more, but how much is your vacation time worth.
I schedule myself on a flight which gets to London about mid day, which lets you go though customs and catch the flight out the same day getting closer to your destination. You could fly into Edinburgh or Aberdeen which is closer to Orkney. If you have to spend the night there are more beds available in those locations walking distance from the airport (although if you go in August you will be dealing with the Scottish Tattoo in Edinburgh which is expensive and bed availability is much lower [ I found out the hard way]). In August going to Aberdeen is a better choice. Logan Air flies out of Aberdeen as well. Also there is a night ferry out of Aberdeen, which I have not taken but investigated. It lands just outside of Kirkwall in the middle of the night.
August is a good time to be in Orkney as the Heather is blooming. I don't recollect much Heather at Skara Brae, but there is a fair amount at the Ring of Brodgar which adds a lot of color to pictures. Another place you want to go is Maeshowe (pronounced Mays-how) And if you are near that part of Mainland you might want to go north to the Barony Mill which is a mill grinding Bere Barley (a rare Barley, but significant one since it is a Heritage Barley which if any disease infects the usual Barley this could be used to replace it. They sell treats made of the barley. Highland Parks Scotch is also in Kirkwall and very worth visiting as they are one of the few Scotch distilleries still working the entire system from Barley to bottling. Taking a tour there is well worth your time.
Since you are interested in history Orkney is a signet place as Scapa Flow is there which is where the British fleet was anchored during WWI and WWII. The German fleet was held there after WWI until they scuttled their own ships. The Royal Oak was sunk there.
A book I read about the history of Orkney is "Orkney, a historical guide". It is well worth reading before going there. It was written by Caroline Wickham-Jones. Of course with your desire to go to Skara Brae you may have already read it. That book describes many other sites on Mainland as well as the other islands, historic and Pre-historic
As an aside if you have access to Google Earth there is a 360 degree site located on the island of Sanday you should see. It is east of Kettletoft on the east side of the point. If you click on that site you will be able to see the inside of the Barrow (burial chamber) located there.
Have a grand there.
Written May 19, 2019
_sueward10hcr
Banbury, United Kingdom
We are travelling in Scotland with our dog and would like to take a ferry across to see Skara Brae. Is there suitable shady parking to leave the dog in the car or would it be better to take it in turns to stay with the dog and visit the site?
Written July 1, 2018
There are very few trees in Orkney and I can only remember 1 or 2 bushes. You may well be able to take your dog with you as Skara Brae is outside. In any case, I doubt if it will be over 20 degrees!
Written July 1, 2018
We're arriving by cruise ship to Kirkwall. How would we get here? Any idea of the cost and time?
Written March 25, 2018
You should be able to hire a cab if you don't want to rent a car... there's probably tours from Kirkwall...
Written April 8, 2018
How much time did you spend here?
Written February 10, 2018
I was there for 2 hours and felt very rushed. I missed most of the house which is very interesting especially if the Laird is around. He's very friendly, proud of his home and willing to tell you the history. Spend more time if you can spare it. Well worth it!
Written February 12, 2018
My mum wants to come, she is terminally ill and uses a walker. Would that be possible please? She wants to see it before she dies
Written September 5, 2017
There are 2 Motability Scooters available outside the back of the Visitor Centre on a 1st come-1st served basis. This will get you down the Timeline footpath to the edge of the Village, but you will need to use a rollator/walker around the site itself as the path between the houses is too narrow and concludes with steps down [she can retrace her steps to go out of the sloping entrance if necessary]
Written May 29, 2019
Skara Brae is open all year round.
Written May 29, 2019
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