Skara Brae and Skaill House

Overall rating

4.5

About

Step back 5,000 years to explore one of Europe’s best-preserved prehistoric settlements. Once an inland village beside a freshwater loch, Skara Brae now looks out over a wide, sandy beach. Surrounded by a stunning variety of wildflowers and birdlife, a visit is an aesthetic treat. The village was first uncovered during a storm in 1850. Ever since, Skara Brae has been a place of discovery for archaeologists, students, artists and enthusiasts. You can follow a path overlooking these ancient buildings, still equipped with their stone furniture, and step inside a replica house to appreciate the lives of the Neolithic villagers. The visitor centre has touch-screen presentations and contains many of the thousands of artefacts discovered here. Opening Times: We recommend booking online in advance for the best price and to guarantee entry. 1 Apr to 30 Sept: Daily, 9.30am to 5.30pm (last entry 4.30pm) 1 Oct to 31 Mar: Daily, 10am to 4pm (last entry 3pm)

Reviews

Overall rating

4.5

(1 review)

Overall rating breakdown

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Access (avg.)

4.5

Parking (avg.)

Toilets (avg.)

Staff (avg.)

hamishthehelperdog

Aug 2024

4.5

Well worth a visit

We had a day trip to Orkney and booked to see the Stone Age site, Skara Brae. There's a visitor centre and exhibition, gift shop, cafe an outdoor life size replica and the ruins/village itself. It's a beautiful location and well worth a visit. We booked a timeslot in advance which was cheaper and also meant guaranteed entrance since it was fully booked when we went. We got a disabled ticket with a free carer ticket.

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Disabled Access Information Provided by Skara Brae and Skaill House

Disabled Access at Skara Brae and Skaill House

Approach to site Approach to site is 500m from the visitor centre, through a timber latch gate and along a mainly bound, crushed stone path. Visitor centre The visitor centre has ramped access. Inside it is all level. There is a large exhibition with an introductory film and several interactive computer such as ‘make a pot’ and ‘build a roof’. Monument A replica house is 5m from the visitor centre. The entrance is low and narrow (1150mm x 700mm). From there it is about 400m through a wooden latch gate to the original houses. They are seen from stone and grass paths. There are steps with handrails leading to some areas. Skaill House is 500m from Skara Brae on a crushed stone path. The ground floor of the building is on the level. The upper floors are reached via stairs. Special features Manual and motorised wheelchairs are available for visitors (on a first come first served basis). Ear Defenders A limited number of adult and children's ear defenders are available at this site. Please ask a member of staff if you want to borrow them.

Disabled access

Accessible parking at Skara Brae and Skaill House

The level, tarmac surfaced car park, next to the visitor centre has accessible bays.

Dedicated on-site parking

On-site accessible parking bays are available within 50 metres of the entrance.

Toilets features at Skara Brae and Skaill House

The visitor centre has an adapted toilet.

Accessible toilet

A designated accessible toilet designed for wheelchair users and others with visible and non-visible accessibility requirements is available within the main public areas.