Skara Brae, Broch of Gurness, The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces: Day 25 – Scotland 2017
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30 April 2017
We were up at the crack of dawn to get started on the long day ahead of us. Getting up and dressing was much easier in the warmth of the lounge, and we were thankful we took the warden’s advice. It was bitter outside and the wind was not letting up, being on an island and all. With many layers of clothes on, we climbed into the car and drove the short trip to our first sight.
Skara Brae
When we arrived at Skara Brae, I realized I’d misread the opening time. We were an hour early. So, after a nap in the car, we made our way into the visitor center to buy tickets. We were the second couple through the door, which is exactly what we were hoping for. We’d heard that Skara Brae can get very busy as the day progresses, so we made sure that our schedule put us there first thing in the morning. We bought our tickets, made our way through the visitor center and the replica house, and then walked out to the sea and into history.
Replica House
The History
On a dark and stormy night in 1850, wind and waves ravaged the shore outside William Watt’s house. When dawn broke, he walked down to the water’s edge and saw a stone wall that had previously been covered with sand. He began excavating and soon discovered Skara Brae. That’s the most popular story, anyway. There is some dispute as to its validity, but it is the most well-known. Whether you believe that this was the first discovery of Skara Brae or not, the first archaeology dig at the site was due to William Watt. He contacted George Petrie and work began.
What they uncovered was, and still is, Europe’s most well-preserved Neolithic Age village. Other excavations occurred in subsequent years, and there was some looting of the site, but finally, in the 1920s, a group began work to preserve the village after another powerful storm damaged it. They did a phenomenal job. The sea is constantly creeping closer and conservationists are implementing ongoing measures to keep the site safe. I hope they can preserve it for decades to come because it is an incredible place. It is older than both Stone Henge and the Great Pyramids, and it’s amazing to be able to see.
Our Best-Kept Practice Pays Off Again
Practically every blog post I’ve written so far starts with some form of, “We got up at the crack of dawn….’ There’s a reason for that. It correlates directly to our other over-used phrase of: “We had the entire place to ourselves.” I can’t tell you how many places we’ve seen during our travels where we were completely alone. Part of that is because we tend to travel in the off-season. The other reason is that we always try to make it to our first destination right when they open. Both of those things played into our hand during our visit.
As we made our way down to the ruins of Skara Brae, we were two of four tourists. At the actual site, a guide was talking with the other couple, telling them history, stories, and such. There was another guide nearby, and she started pointing things out to us and sharing more of the history. After talking to us for a bit, she looked down the path toward the visitor center. We followed her gaze. There wasn’t anyone there. She turned back to us and asked, “Would you like to go down in?” I pointed to myself and said, “Us?” Then I pointed to the ruins and said, “In there?” She nodded. We excitedly said yes, and then followed her into the restricted section of the ruins.
When you visit Skara Brae, designated walkways lead you around the site. From those walkways, you can look down into Skara Brae, but you can’t actually go in. Except that we did! The woman took us down into a few parts of the ruin and let us have an up-close look at a few of the houses as well as the workshop and the drain area. It was incredible. And the reason we were so lucky? The woman we were with said she really loved to let folks have a closer look but can only do so when it’s not busy.
Lesson of the day? Get to places early! You never know what treat may lie in store.
Skaill House
Skaill House is a short walk from the Skara Brae ruin on the shore. The house was the home of William Watt, the gentleman who purportedly discovered Skara Brae. His house is now a museum of sorts and offers an array of things to look at. From rooms set as they would have been in the 1950s to Neolithic and Iron Age artifacts, the house has room after room of interesting items to see. It also has an incredible gift shop where we took this fine photo:
I still regret not buying that and forcing Billy to wear it for the rest of our trip. It was grand.
The Broch Of Gurness
Our second attraction of the day was another ancient place and only 25 minutes from Skara Brae. The Broch of Gurness is thought to have been created sometime between 500 BC and 200 BC. Brochs are unique to Scotland. They are round drystone structures with a hollow space between the walls. Essentially, it’s a fort. Like other brochs, a village sprung up around the Broch of Gurness. It has been wonderfully excavated and preserved and gives the best impression of what life could have been like for those living there.
There are houses with distinct rooms, hearths, cupboards, and even stairs between the walls of the broch that lead up to the second floor of the houses. It is in ruin, of course, but it is still incredible to see. During the excavation, archaeologists made other discoveries as well. Viking burials, including human remains and grave-goods, were found. The Vikings made their way into the Orkney Islands around 800 AD and were known to use sites of earlier settlements as burial places.
I don’t know if it was the weather or because it was so early in the season, but we were alone at this site, too. We took our time walking through the ancient village. Exploring the rooms and finding all of the staircases was so fun. Since it was so slow, we also had a great chat with the gentleman running the visitor center. After getting our fill of the ruin, we said our goodbyes and headed to our final attraction of the day.
The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces
Another 25-minute drive took us from the Broch of Gurness our last ruins of the day. The history of the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces is extensive, but I’ll try to cram it down into a nutshell. The Bishop’s Palace was built around the same time as St Magnus Cathedral, which stands across the street (it is beautiful in there, by the way). That would have been sometime in the early 1100s. In the early 1600s, the Earl’s palace was built by a fellow called Patrick, Earl of Orkney. He was not a great guy and was executed some years later. During that trial, it was alleged that he’d used slave labor to build his palace.
His great palace absorbed the Bishop’s Palace, although it’s hard to tell that today. What’s left now is a ruin of both palaces. A road divides the two, but one ticket gives you access to both. Patrick may well have been an awful human being, but he lived in one beautiful home. Even in its ruined form, you can see how magnificent the place would have been. The architecture is gorgeous, and it is like a dream to walk through. Again, we were practically all alone in these buildings. We spent a lot of time in the Earl’s Palace, imagining parties and daily life there.
There’s not as much left of the Bishop’s Palace, but the views from the top are to die for. My cemetery-loving heart was full to bursting when we reached the top of the stairs to look out over the walls. You get a bird’s eye view of the majority of the cathedral and graveyard, and it is stunning.
Some people tire of ruins after a while. I don’t know how many times we’ve heard people say that once you’ve seen a castle, you’ve seen them all. Or once you’ve seen a ruin, you don’t need to see another one. For some people, that might be true. But not for us. Every building, every castle, and every ruin have their own quirks and their own story. We look forward to learning about them all.
Wheems Organic Farm
After traipsing through ruins all day, we had lunch in Kirkwall before heading out to our accommodations for the evening. Seeing Skara Brae, the Broch of Gurness, and the Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces made for an eventful day and we were ready to relax. We had booked a pod at Wheems Organic Farm and were really looking forward to it. The woman who greeted us was incredibly nice and showed us around the farm area that was open to us. They have a shared kitchen and herb garden for guests and a shower block as well—everything you need. The pods were nothing fancy, but they provided exactly what we needed; a warm place to sleep, away from the elements. The wind would have made tent camping miserable. But the best part? An unbeatable view.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
