Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. It consisted of ten clustered houses, made of flagstones, in earthen dams that provided support for the walls; the houses included stone hearths, beds, and cupboards. A primitive sewer system, with "toilets" and drains in each house, included water used to flush waste into a drain and out to the ocean.
Skara Brae from the entrance gate
Evidence of home furnishings
View over the settlement, showing covering to house No. 7 and proximity to modern shore line. The glass roof has now been replaced by a turf one, as the humidity and heat caused by the glass roof were hindering preservation.
Symbols found at Skara Brae and other Neolithic sites
The Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, is the main island of Orkney, Scotland. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, lie on the island, which is also the heart of Orkney's ferry and air connections.
Stromness is the second largest settlement on Mainland, and Orkney in general.
St Magnus Cathedral, built from the Old Red Sandstone prevalent on the island
Skara Brae
Mainland, as "Pomona" from the not wholly accurate Carta Marina of 1539.
