Skaill House — Attraction in Scotland

Skaill House is the finest 17th century mansion in Orkney.

Home of the man who unearthed Skara Brae in 1850, and covering thousands of years of Orkney history, a visit to Skaill House will give a valuable insight into Orkney's diverse and exciting past.

Overlooking the spectacular Bay of Skaill, the house was originally built in 1620 by Bishop Graham and has been added to by successive Lairds over the centuries. Just a short distance from the house lies the neolithic village of Skara Brae, and the southern wing of Skaill House stands on a pre-Norse burial ground.

The house was opened to the public in 1997 after careful restoration work, and is very much the family home as it was in the 1950s. Captain Cook's dinner service, Neolithic and Iron Age finds, Stanley Cursiter paintings, the Bishop's original bed, and many other items of interest collected by the twelve Lairds of Skaill can be seen around the house.

Children are very much welcome at Skaill House and can join in our much loved Viking hunt as they explore the rooms of the house. You can complete your experience with a browse around our gift shop, well stocked with quality local crafts, books and produce. You can also enjoy a hot or cold drink or ice cream while you sit in our sunny and sheltered courtyard, or take in the wonderful grounds surrounding the house.

Skaill House also offers 4 star self catering accommodation, Peerieskaill and Langskaill apartments.

Overlooking the spectacular Bay of Skaill, Skaill House is the finest 17th Century mansion in Orkney.

Covering thousands of years of history, Skaill House is renowned for its contribution to Orkney’s diverse and exciting past. Today, after careful restoration work, the house is open to the public. Skaill House has been accredited by Visit Scotland as a four star visitor attraction. There are many rooms to explore and...

I last visited this area some fifty years ago when my ship, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Stromness, berthed at her namesake port in the Orkneys. This time, visiting on Fred Olsen's Balmoral, I achieved all that the £89 ship tour offered - and a lot more besides. I jumped aboard the X1 bus from Kirkwall which stops right outside the Visitor Centre and charges just £10 for a day ticket.

A lot has changed since I last visited. There's a £16 charge to enter Skara Brae and Skaill House, rules and regulations, concrete paths and an impressive building housing an exhibition, souvenir shop and an excellent cafe. Free wifi too. In the 1970's, you just walked onto the site - and Skaill House wasn't open to tourists at all.

The bonus for me was that I didn't even have to pay; as a senior member of English Heritage. Free entry is also granted to card carrying members of Historic Scotland. The House is still owned by the family of the Laird who discovered the nearby Skara Brae and is a bit of a timewarp of the 1960's and seventies including an unbelievably awful - by modern standards - pink bathroom - for the exclusive use of the lady of the house. My favourite bits were the library, the drawing room and the dining room. It's a fairly standard bit of Scottish period architecture, but I doubt you'll linger more than an hour, even if you potter outside in...

Loved this place situated on the Orkney island of Stromness. It was so well presented with good explanations, historical context, and significance to the local area. To get to the house, you need to get a bus from Stromness. A return ticket cost £4.00 return. It is then £10 to get to see the scara brae historical encampment and house. Very good value for money and well worth the time to get there. There's a nice cafe and a decent shop. The staff were helpful and friendly. The whole site is so well preserved and easy to navigate. A lot of thought has gone into helping the visitor appreciate the magnitude of this find that takes you back 3000 years BC. I think it could be difficult for a wheelchair user or child in pushchair to navigate the house and so I would recommend you check this before heading out on the 6 mile journey from Skowness. This was one of my favourite places on a wider Scotland trip, and I would recommend it as an amazing part of Scottish history to be savoured and enjoyed with a lot of learning thrown in. Take warm clothes if the weather isn't great. It's quite exposed, and there is some walking albeit on well carved paths. Dogs on...