Knap of Howar — Attraction in Scotland

As you walk up to the site, the buildings remain hidden until the very last moment when they suddenly appear at your feet with the sea and vistas of Westray as a spectacular backdrop. The first time we visited, I am not ashamed to say that this moment brought tears to my eyes. A mixture, I guess, of the fragility of the environment (although rather different from its original state), their almost unimaginable age and the beauty of their construction. It is true of a number of the sites in Orkney, but this is a very special place where one really gets to feel and touch our ancient ancestors. Well worth the excuse and excitement of taking the world’s shortest commercial...

Stepping back in time to 5300BC, the Knap of Hower predates Skara Brae and the Ness of Brodgar. This is the oldest inhabited building in the European Continent and is located on the beautiful island of Papay Westray, Orkney, and is a fascinating insight to the way our predecessors lived. It is free to visit, but there is a short walk across a field at the farm of Holland to...

Better than skara brae!

I really enjoyed this site. It looked better than skarabrae and due to lower tourist numbers you have free roam around the site. It has a great location next to holland farm which has great history itself. I would take the opportunity to walk along the coast...