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The western end chamber of the Neolithic structure. (πŸ“· Sigurd Towrie)
Excavation Neolithic Northern Exposure Sanday

Back to Sanday to continue excavating Spurness Neolithic structure

We’re back in Sanday this week, with excavations resuming at a prehistoric site at Spurness on Sunday.

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, July 19, 2026 (8:55am)Sunday, July 19, 2026 (10:00am)
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Time Team trailer
Excavation Ness of Brodgar Video

Time Team’s Ness of Brodgar special now available online

Professors Jane Downes and Ingrid Mainland are among the familiar faces seen in the new Time Team special on the Ness of Brodgar excavations.

By Sigurd TowrieSaturday, July 18, 2026 (10:20pm)Thursday, August 6, 2026 (10:25am)
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(πŸ“· Dan Lee)
Excavation Skaill Farm

Dig diary – Week one at Skaill, Rousay

An update on the first week at Skaill from site director Dan Lee.

By Sigurd TowrieSaturday, July 18, 2026 (5:30pm)Saturday, July 18, 2026 (5:30pm)
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(πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 29

Pressure builds on penultimate day – today’s update from Iain Healy.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, July 16, 2026 (8:37pm)Saturday, July 18, 2026 (5:11pm)
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(πŸ“· Alison Johnston)
News

Bringing Barra’s history to life with new augmented reality archaeology trail

The UHI Archaeology Institute has launched two new interactive, augmented reality archaeology trails in Barra, allowing visitors to experience some of the island’s most significant archaeological sites in an entirely new way, through the Outer Hebrides Unearthed smartphone app.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, July 16, 2026 (10:01am)Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (8:01pm)
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(πŸ“· Iain Healy)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 28

Today’s excavation update from Craig Barnes.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 15, 2026 (8:23pm)Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (8:24pm)
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The paved entrance passage of the broch, looking into the interior. (πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 27

Today’s site update from PhD student Julia Brunner.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, July 14, 2026 (8:51pm)Tuesday, July 14, 2026 (8:51pm)
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(πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 26

As we enter the final week of The Cairns dig, an update from Ole Thoenies.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, July 13, 2026 (8:10pm)Monday, July 13, 2026 (8:10pm)
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Professor Jane Downes, of the UHI Archaeology Institute, with Time Team's Matt Williams ahead of the dig in Shetland. (πŸ“· Time Team)
Excavation News ORCA

Time Team drops by the Archaeology Institute ahead of Shetland dig

Ahead of their trip to Shetland, for a dig involving the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA), Time Team’s Matt Williams popped by the institute to speak to Professor Jane Downes and ORCA’s senior projects manager, Paul Clarke.

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, July 12, 2026 (10:25pm)Sunday, July 12, 2026 (10:25pm)
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Frances Walker, Clashach Cove (North Sea Glimpses), 1996, lithograph and screenprint, 46.3 x 61.5 cm. Peacock Archive, Aberdeen Archives, Galleries & Museums. Β© Frances Walker (2007)
Art & Archaeology Research

Funding secured for North Sea heritage doctoral research consortium

The UHI Archaeology Institute is proud to be a core partner in a significant new investment from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as part of a Focal Award in Art History, Visual Arts and Creative Practice to establishΒ North Sea Heritage in Transitions (NHT).

By Sigurd TowrieSaturday, July 11, 2026 (10:21pm)Monday, July 13, 2026 (7:41pm)
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(πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Archaeology Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 24

Today’s update from The Cairns by site director Martin Carruthers.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, July 9, 2026 (8:31pm)Saturday, July 11, 2026 (10:26pm)
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(πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Calendar 2018 Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 23

A walk around the site with Django on his last day…

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 8, 2026 (9:07pm)Saturday, July 11, 2026 (10:26pm)
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(πŸ“· Iain Healy)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 22

Site wide progress, finds and a farewell to Rick – today’s diary update from Carrie Davis.

By Sigurd TowrieTuesday, July 7, 2026 (8:26pm)Saturday, July 11, 2026 (10:25pm)
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Research

Kirbuster Farm event marks launch of new ‘Sooans’ project

A new project looking at sowens – a heritage food made from oats and a dietary staple in bygone years – has launched, with a special event at Kirbuster Farm, Orkney, at the weekend.

By Sigurd TowrieMonday, July 6, 2026 (7:25pm)Monday, July 6, 2026 (7:25pm)
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Bobby Friel
Excavation Rousay Skaill Farm Viking/Norse

Back in Rousay for three-week excavation at Skaill Farm

Our second dig of the 2026 season gets under way tomorrow, with archaeologists, students and volunteers from the UHI Archaeology Institute back at the multi-period settlement site at Skaill, Rousay.

By Sigurd TowrieSunday, July 5, 2026 (2:50pm)Sunday, July 5, 2026 (2:50pm)
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(πŸ“· Scott Timpany)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 20

Important findings and progress – Friday’s update from site director Martin Carruthers.

By Sigurd TowrieFriday, July 3, 2026 (10:48pm)Sunday, July 5, 2026 (8:49pm)
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(πŸ“· Iain Healy)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 19

Today’s excavation update from student Declan Fladstol.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, July 2, 2026 (8:47pm)Thursday, July 2, 2026 (8:47pm)
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Postgraduate

July 31 deadline for Carnegie Masters Grant applications

The closing date to apply for the Carnegie Education Fund’s postgraduate grant – which is to help students from low-income Scottish households undertake master’s programmes at Scottish universities – is July 31, 2026.

By Sigurd TowrieThursday, July 2, 2026 (10:13am)Thursday, July 2, 2026 (10:15am)
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Twin niches set into the wall of Structure J - one excavated and the other with the fill still in place. (πŸ“· Martin Carruthers)
Excavation Iron Age The Cairns

The Cairns dig diary – day 18

Past the half-way point – today’s site update from UHI student Jemima Hall.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 1, 2026 (8:17pm)Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (8:17pm)
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Time Team premiere
Neolithic Ness of Brodgar

Orkney premiere of Ness of Brodgar Time Team special on Friday

The 75‑minute Time Team Special filmed during the final full season of excavation at the Ness of Brodgar in 2024 has its world premiere in Orkney on Friday, July 3.

By Sigurd TowrieWednesday, July 1, 2026 (11:43am)Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (9:40am)
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  • A team from ORCA will be carrying out excavations around the Neolithic Tomb of the Eagles, South Ronalday, Orkney, from August 24-September 11. Details at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Sigurd Towrie)
    3 days ago
  • Today's update from Spurness, Sanday, by Professor Colin Richards, is now available at archaeologyorkney.com.
    2 weeks ago
  • Aerial view of the monumental Early Neolithic building under excavation at Spurness, Sanday. More images and an update at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Paul Clarke)
    2 weeks ago
  • UHI Orkney has named Katie Joss as its Student of the Year. Katie is pictured with the carved stone head she found at Skaill farm excavation in Rousay last summer. (πŸ“· Dan Lee)
    3 weeks ago
A team from ORCA will be carrying out excavations around the Neolithic Tomb of the Eagles, South Ronalday, Orkney, from August 24-September 11. Details at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Sigurd Towrie)
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A team from ORCA will be carrying out excavations around the Neolithic Tomb of the Eagles, South Ronalday, Orkney, from August 24-September 11. Details at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Sigurd Towrie)
3 days ago
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Today's update from Spurness, Sanday, by Professor Colin Richards, is now available at archaeologyorkney.com.
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Today's update from Spurness, Sanday, by Professor Colin Richards, is now available at archaeologyorkney.com.
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Aerial view of the monumental Early Neolithic building under excavation at Spurness, Sanday. More images and an update at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Paul Clarke)
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Aerial view of the monumental Early Neolithic building under excavation at Spurness, Sanday. More images and an update at archaeologyorkney.com. (πŸ“· Paul Clarke)
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UHI Orkney has named Katie Joss as its Student of the Year. Katie is pictured with the carved stone head she found at Skaill farm excavation in Rousay last summer. (πŸ“· Dan Lee)
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UHI Orkney has named Katie Joss as its Student of the Year. Katie is pictured with the carved stone head she found at Skaill farm excavation in Rousay last summer. (πŸ“· Dan Lee)
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MSc Environmental Archaeology starting September 2026
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TRANSECTS

The Cairns

The Ness of Brodgar

Skaill, Rousay

Swartigill, Caithness

Tombs of the Isles Project

Industrial Heritage of the North Isles

Gaan Nort - An Oral History of Orkney's North Isles

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Archaeology Orkney

UHI Archaeology Institute

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UHI Archaeology Institute, UHI Orkney, East Road, Kirkwall. KW15 1LX
(01856) 569000
sigurd.towrie@uhi.ac.uk
8am-5pm. Monday to Friday

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  • UHI Archaeology Institute website
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  • Working Stone – the prehistoric stone tools of Orkney
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  • Three-week excavation at South Ronaldsay's Tomb of the Eagles begins Monday
  • Study online and gain an archaeology degree anywhere in the world
  • The Cairns
  • Study archaeology with us online and gain a degree anywhere in the world
  • Welcome to Rousay Tales
  • The chambered cairns of Orkney
  • Places to eat and drink in Kirkwall