Westray, Farrivald

Explorer Tom On Westray, the dunes beside Grobust Bay have been hiding a whole prehistoric neighbourhood, and Links of Noltland is where the sand occasionally gives the game away. Houses, fields and a burial ground have emerged here; if the beach had a filing cabinet, it would be asking archaeologists to stop pulling out its oldest drawers. People farmed this coastal ground from around 3300 BC to 800 BC. The Neolithic remains include a dozen buildings, while the Bronze Age settlement is Orkney’s largest. Thick drystone walls, hearths and stone furniture show how the earlier homes worked. Excavators also found pottery, tools and the little carved figure nicknamed the Westray Wifie. Three stone figures from the site can be seen at Westray Heritage Centre, so do not arrive expecting a tiny prehistoric person to wave from the sand. Sand and midden preserved clues that few monuments keep. At the Grobust building, whale rib remains may have served as a roof support; in another cluster, cattle skulls were placed upside down in foundations. Those details make the place more than a picturesque ruin. They show choices made by people who lived, worked and marked changes in their houses here for generations. Some ground is still under study, and what is exposed can vary with excavation and protection work. Historic Environment Scotland says the site is free and open all year, but May to September gives the best chance of seeing uncovered archaeology while excavations continue. It is five minutes by car from Pierowall, with a small car park five minutes' walk from the site and no facilities. Bring your curiosity and decent footwear; the Westray wind has been inspecting visitors for ages.