I didn’t get a picture of the seal who was bobbing up and down in the waves, but it was a sunny blustery day and I found Skara Brae very inspiring as well as fascinating. We had a lovely day there, including lunch in the café (mmmm, salmon). I was less interested in the manor house, but even there I found things to interest me (but that will have to wait as I chose so many of the site today). Thanks to Mary and Amy for a wonderful trip.
A reconstruction of House 7 to give a sense of what the homes would look like.You may not think of stone as a warm hearth but the houses were large and cozy, and on a wind-whistling day like we had, warm.Spacious, too!Museums have embraced the idea of narrative as an organising principle. The walk shows how far apart in time many “old” events are — and how much beyond them Skara Brae is.Yep, older than Stonehenge.The sea has claimed some of the settlement (and rising ocean levels threaten more), but you get a sense of the organisation of it here.The turf protects the stones from the elements; the preservation efforts fight a slow losing battle.There’s such a beauty in the graceful curves.No wonder my imagination tries to bring it all back to life.Imagine this as your front garden with seals and seabirds.All the houses follow the same model but each one shows a variation on the theme.Four rainbows that day: a natural phenomenon that nonetheless delights.The stone shelves were used for storing food but also for displaying objects that meant something to the folks who lived there.In the distance Skaill House, where the modern people lived.How you know you’re not in America; people are trusted to be sensible.We were lucky with the weather; although cold and blustery it stayed dry — not bad for late October in the north.
K. A. Laity 
… and actually pay attention to the signs!
Yes!
Been there a couple of times. Managed to avoid the rain too 🙂
Not easy to do!