Skara Brae Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Skara Brae. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• 5-Day Orkney & Northern Coast Tour from Edinburgh Incl Admissions
• 3-Day Orkney Explorer Small-Group Tour from Inverness
• Orkney West Mainland Tour
• 8-Day Isle of Skye, Orkney & North Coast 500 tour from Edinburgh
• From Kirkwall - Orkney Mainland Private Tour

The online prices for Skara Brae from April to October are £11 for adults, £8.80 for seniors and those unemployed, £6.60 for children ages 7–15, and between £21.50 and £37.50 for families. Walk-up prices are slightly more expensive, while prices from November to March (when Skaill House is closed) are up to £7 cheaper.

Skara Brae is famous for being one of the best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe. This Stone Age settlement in the Orkney Islands of Scotland is known for its well-preserved prehistoric houses, which are around 5,000 years old—that’s older than both England’s Stonehenge and Egypt’s Giza Pyramids.

Skara Brae is archaeologically significant due to its age (it’s around 5,000 years old) and impressive condition. Its structures are very well-preserved—including the furniture in the village houses—and provide unparalleled insights into Neolithic society and daily life.

Yes, Skara Brae is part of the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney” UNESCO World Heritage Site, a designation that encompasses several Neolithic monuments on the island. The group also includes the large chambered tomb of Maeshowe and two ceremonial stone circles (the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar), as well as a number of excavated sites.

No, visitors cannot enter the Skara Brae houses—this is in order to preserve the integrity of the ancient site. However, visitors can easily see into the houses from outside and explore the interior of a replica house. There is also a visitor center that is home to touch-screen presentations and artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations.

The best time to visit Skara Brae—and the Orkney Islands in general—is during the spring and summer when the weather is typically mild and long daylight hours allow more time to explore. If visiting during the summer holidays, try to arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds.

To get to Skara Brae from Edinburgh, you can fly to Kirkwall and then drive or take a bus to the site. Alternatively, travel to Aberdeen or Scrabster by bus, train, or private vehicle, then take the ferry to Kirkwall or Stromness. There is a bus stop by the Skara Brae Visitor Centre.