Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You enter the
central chamber
down a low, long passage, one wall of which is
comprised of a single immense stone. Inside, you can stand upright and admire the
superb masonry of the lofty corbelled roof. Remarkably, the tomb is aligned so that
the rays of the winter solstice sun hit the top of the Barnhouse Stone, half a mile
away, and reach right down the passage of Maes Howe to the ledge of one of the
three cells in the walls of the tomb. When Maes Howe was opened in 1861, it was
virtually empty, thanks to the work of generations of grave-robbers, who had left
behind only a handful of human bones. he Vikings, however, left copious runic
gra
ti, cut into the walls of the main chamber, including phrases such as “many a
beautiful woman has stooped in here, however pompous she might be” and the more
prosaic “hor and I bedded Helga”.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
STENNESS
By bus
Buses from Stromness to Kirkwall (Mon-Sat
hourly, Sun every 2hr; 30min) can drop you off at Tormiston
Mill by Maes Howe - under a mile from the Stones of
Stenness and the same again from the Ring of Brodgar.
15
ACCOMMODATION
Ì
Holland House
T
01856 771400,
W
holland
houseorkney.co.uk.
A beautiful, solidly built manse in
Harray, set back from the A986. The house is filled with
artworks, there's a peat fire and the home cookin
g, inc
luding
freshly baked scones for breakfast, is outstanding.
£96
Mill of Eyrland
T
01856 850136,
W
millofeyrland
.co.uk.
Carefully converted former mill in a delightful
setting on the A964 to Orphir; it's filled with wonderful
antiques and old mill machinery, a
s we
ll as all mod cons;
free wi-fi and enormous breakfasts.
£80
EATING AND DRINKING
Merkister Hotel
Harray Loch
T
01856 771366, www
.merkister.com.
Substantial hotel on the northeastern
shore of the Loch of Harray, popular with the locals and
visiting anglers. The bar's lively and does fairly predictable
bar meals such as (local) fish and chips (around £10) but
there's a restaurant, too, whose menu features more local
seafood (mains £13-20).
Food served daily noon-2pm &
6-9pm.
Skara Brae
Daily: April-Sept 9.30am-5.30pm; Oct-March 9.30am-4.30pm • £7.10; HS •
T
01856 761606
he extensive remains of a small Neolithic fishing and farming village, dating from
3000 BC, were discovered at
Skara Brae
in 1850, after a fierce storm ripped off the
dunes covering them. he village is amazingly well preserved, its houses huddled
together and connected by narrow passages, which would originally have been covered
over with turf. he houses themselves comprise a single, spacious living room, filled
with domestic detail, including dressers, fireplaces, built-in cupboards, beds and boxes,
all ingeniously constructed from slabs of stone.
he
visitor centre
houses an excellent
café/restaurant
and an introductory
exhibition
,
with a few replica finds, and some hands-on stuff for kids. Beyond is a full-scale replica
of House 7 (the best-preserved house), complete with a fake wood and skin roof. It's all
a tad neat and tidy, with fetching uplighting - rather than dark, smoky and smelly
- but it gives you the general idea, and makes up for the fact that, at the site itself, you
can only look down on the houses from the outer walls.
In the summer months, your ticket to Skara Brae also covers entry to nearby
Skaill House
,
built for Bishop George Graham in the 1620s, but much extended since. he house's prize
possession is Captain Cook's dinner service from the
Resolution
; it was delivered after Cook's
death when the
Resolution
and the
Discovery
sailed into Stromness in 1780.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
SKARA BRAE
By bus
Services are limited (Mon, Thurs & Sat only),
with extra services on schooldays and an Octobus service
from Finstown (pre-book only
T
01856 871536,
W
www.octocic.co.uk). Alternatively, since it's only 7
miles from Stromness, you could just hire a bike.
