Day 12 - Neolithic Orkney Tour.

Today was a fantastic day – more or less because it involved an incredible amount of history and my geeky interest. We had a tour of Orkney’s famous Neolithic sites – Maeshowe, Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar, Brough of Birsay, and Skara Brae. They were nothing like the history that we have in the United States – it was so much more interesting than anything we have! Our first stop was Maeshowe, an ancient burial mound/tomb that dates back to around 5,000 years ago. It was quite a feat of engineering, due to the way the sun enters the door and shines on the wall even on the shortest day of the year. Even the trenches around the mound were interesting - they were all dug by hand 3-4 feet deep using their hands and rock tools. Norsement broke into the tomb and inscribed runes on the walls. It was great!

Our second stop was the Stones of Stenness - standing stones on the World Heritage Site list. They say that the extremely heavy (about a ton) stones were taken from a quarry seven miles away and stood on their ends in a ring shape.

Our third stop was the Ring of Brodgar, yet another site of standing stones near the Stones of Stenness. It was much larger and there were many more stones. Most of the stones that completed the circle , however, had either fallen or been struck by lightning. An old myth claimed that women who walked counter clockwise around the circle would soon become pregnant after walking around the circle. Most of the girls decided to test that theory by going the wrong way - we'll see what happens. :]

Our fourth was at Skara Brae - a prehistoric village that was discovered only 100 years ago after a storm blew the tops of sand dunes and a farmer discovered the remnants of an old village. The rooms were complete with beds, a hearth, and a dresser. Unfortunately, the fate of the people of the village remains contested. Some believe a lack of fresh water forced the peoples to move inland and away from the sea. Nonetheless, the village was incredibly exciting to visit, thanks to how preserved the area is.

During the day, we also visited Brough of Birsay and the Italian Chapel. Brough of Birsay is a Viking/Pictish settlement on an island that is only accessible during low tide. It was a great experience, partially because of the beautiful ocean views and the chance to see some more of the other side of Orkney's history: the Vikings. The Italian Chapel was created by WWII Italian POWs that were held on Orkney. They wished to have a place for religious worship, so they were given army barracks to use for that purpose. They painted the inside and outside of the barracks to give them a more chapel-like feel. It was an amazing display of artwork!

The day was interesting - I am so blessed to have been able to see such fascinating places that define the beginning of Scotland. Our busy day is finally over - time for relaxation!

Tomorrow: Free day and GOLF!