27 Old Ruins to Explore in Orkney

Checkout places to visit in Orkney

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Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, Mainland, is often referred to as "the Mainland", and has an area of 523 square kilometres, making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney’s largest settlement, and

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Old Ruins to Explore in Orkney

Barnhouse Settlement

The Barnhouse Settlement is a Neolithic village located in Antaness, Orkney, Scotland, which was inhabited between c. 3300 and 2600 BCE. The early settlement consisted of at least six small houses similar in style to the early circular houses at Skara Brae. These were set around a larger and more elaborate building. Situated on the shore of Harray Loch, and accessed from the Standing Stones of Stenness, Barnhouse is a stone age village.

The Barony Mill features the only working water wheel in Orkney, and it's the only one in the world milling bere. The present Mill was built in 1873, and has changed little since. Remains of older mills are adjacent awaiting restoration. Like most northern mills of this period, a kiln for drying the grain is integral with the building.

Birsay Earl's Palace

The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney , illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Bishop’s and Earl's Palaces

The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces are located in Kirkwall. It is essentially a simple, two-storey hall house and, although little of the first-floor hall remains, the ground level is largely intact. You can also climb to the top of the tower, known locally as the 'Moosie Toor', for views over Kirkwall. Earl's Palace, which was constructed around 1606 by Patrick, Earl of Orkney - one of Orkney's most notorious rulers.

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic cairn on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.It is thought to date from around 3000 BC. The structure is a typical stalled cairn, with an interior divided into seven compartments by pairs of upright stone slabs. The cairn has a modern roof, as the cairn originally was only a few feet high. Access is by a hatchway and ladder in the roof, as the original entrance was sealed

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northeast coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall. It once housed a substantial community. It is perched on the edge of the Orkney's west mainland - part of a coastline that, at one point, would have been lined with brochs. Across Eynhallow Sound you can see another well-preserved example at Midhowe in Rousay.

Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay that you see today is a collection of Viking buildings that date from the 10th century when the Vikings ruled Orkney. It is located around 13 miles north of Stromness and features the remains of Pictish and Norse settlements as well as a modern light house.

Churchill Barriers

The Churchill Barriers are a series of four causeways linking the Orkney Mainland to the islands of Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay with a total length of 1.5 miles. The barriers were built between May 1940 and September 1944, primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but since 12 May 1945, serve as road links between the islands.

Cubbie Roo's Castle

Cubbie Roo's Castle is one of the oldest examples of its type in Scotland. Built as the base for a Viking named Kolbein Hruga, it's thought the structure could have been three storeys high, commanding strategic views out over Gairsay Sound and the surrounding approaches. The ruin we see today has been identified as the castle described in the saga, and 'Roo' is probably a corruption of 'Kolbein Hruga'.

Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn

It is a fine example of Neolithic architectural design, with evidence of complex burial rites. It was constructed by Neolithic farmers as a burial place.The cairn was excavated in 1901 and the remains of several humans and dogs were found, including skulls. In the 1990s, excavations uncovered the remains of a small Neolithic settlement at Stonehall, at the foot of Cuween Hill, and in 2019 images of a forensic model of one of the dog skulls were published.

Earls Bu and Church

The remains of the Orphir Round Church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, are located in Orphir Parish on the Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It has been a scheduled monument since 2014. It consisted of an apse on the eastern side of its 6-metre wide circular nave. It consisted of a circular nave about six metres in diameter with a semicircular apse with a central window. The walls are one metre thick.

Grain Earth House

Grain Earth House is an exceptionally well-built and well-preserved example of an earth house. Its original entrance survives today, leading to a 5m-long passage winding its way to an oval chamber. It’s part of a larger settlement of stone roundhouses, though we don’t know the settlement’s full extent.

Hackness Martello Tower and Battery

The Hackness Martello Tower and Battery were built in 1813-14 to protect British convoys during the Napoleonic Wars, with French and American warships attacking merchant shipping using the Pentland Firth.Barrack room furniture and other military memorabilia give an idea of life at the barracks. Stand on the tower and take in the view towards Scapa Flow.

This is a Neolithic site on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The building preserved at the site is considered the oldest stone house in northern Europe and is dated to 3700-3500 BCE.The small buildings are similar to Skara Brae and include hearths, pits, built-in cupboards and stone benches. They could have been in use for around 500 years.

Knowe of Yarso is one of at least 15 chambered tombs on the small island of Rousay. These were used for communal burial and their distribution probably relates to landholding by small farming communities. The chamber is relatively well lit inside with natural daylight that comes through small glass panels in the protective roof that has been added in more recent years.

Links of Noltland

Links of Noltland is a brilliantly preserved farming settlement dating from about 3300 BC to 800 BC. Neolithic remains include a dozen buildings and the ‘Westray Wifie’ figurine. Grobust Bay is also home to Orkney’s largest Bronze Age settlement. The site contains the remains of both a Neolithic village and later Bronze Age dwellings.

Maeshowe is a large Neolithic chambered cairn, dating from between 3000-2800 BCE, in the Stenness parish of Orkney, Scotland. It was probably built around 2800 BC. In the archaeology of Scotland, it gives its name to the Maeshowe type of chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney. Maeshowe is a scheduled monument and is part of the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney", a group of sites including Skara Brae, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Midhowe Tomb and Chambered Cairn

A large Neolithic chambered cairn located on the south shore of the island of Rousay, Orkney, Scotland. The name "Midhowe" comes from the Iron Age broch known as Midhowe Broch, that lies just west of the tomb. Together, the broch and chambered cairn form part of a large complex of ancient structures on the shore of Eynhallow Sound separating Rousay from Mainland, Orkney.

Map of Old Ruins to Explore in Orkney