West Mainland excursion explores Neolithic and Bronze Age sites

Outside the Cuween Hill chambered cairn, Firth. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

A busload of archaeology students were in Orkney’s West Mainland on Tuesday for a tour of Neolithic and Bronze Age sites that took them well off the beaten path.

The field trip was led by Professor Colin Richards, who has been working in Orkney for decades – discovering and excavating sites such as the Barnhouse and Wideford Hill settlements and the Ring of Brodgar and Vestrafiold.

The day began with an explanation of the known Early Neolithic archaeology (3700-3200BC) around the Bay of Firth:

Colin explains the discovery and excavation of the Stonehall Neolithic settlement during the ascent of Cuween Hill. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

The Stonehall settlement site from Cuween Hill. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

The entrance to the Cuween Hill chambered cairn. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

The first stop of the tour was at Cuween Hill, Firth, where the group saw the site of the Stonehall Neolithic settlement and visited the Cuween chambered cairn. This Maeshowe-type cairn was built around 3100BC and perhaps best known for the Bronze Age deposit of canine remains around 2500BC.

The Varmedale barrow cemetery in Rendall, on the northern side of Wide Firth, was next on the agenda. Excavation of the site by Professor Jane Downes, revealed the Bronze Age barrows had been raised on top of earlier Neolithic activity – the c.3700BC radiocarbon dates from charred grain producing the earliest evidence of farming in Orkney.

From there it was on to the Knowes of Trotty – one of the largest barrow cemeteries in northern Britain and also the site of Early Neolithic settlement – and Deepdale, Stromness, another suspected early site.

Unstan cairn, Stenness, Orkney. (📷 Adam Stanford)

Stop two was at another chambered cairn, this time Unstan, in Stenness – a stalled Orkney-Cromarty-type structure by the banks of the Stenness loch that was in used by 3300BC.

The Late Neolithic (3200-2500BC) was the afternoon’s topic, with visits to the Barnhouse Settlement, Stones of Stenness and Skara Brae.

At the Stones of Stenness. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

The group outside Structure Two at the Barnhouse settlement. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Explaining Structure Eight. (📷 Sigurd Towrie) — Explaining Barnhouse Structure Eight. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

House One, Skara Brae. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Outside House One at Skara Brae. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

House Five at Skara Brae. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

The entrance to House One, Skara Brae. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

One of the so-called "beds" in House One at Skara Brae. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Viewing Skara Brae under blue skies. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Travelling between these sites, Colin pointed out the Ness of Brodgar excavation site, the Ring of Bookan and nearby Bookan settlement, Lingafiold barrow cemetery, the Links of Skaill and the megalithic quarry on Vestrafiold.

After such a packed itinerary, there was not enough time to stop at the Ring of Brodgar on the way back to Kirkwall.

But there’s always another day…