Today Orkney may feel remote and far away from the capital. Five thousand years ago it may have been the centre.
A farmer's field that changed history
In 2003, farmers at Brodgar ploughed up a large notched stone. Someone had shaped it, a very long time ago. That stone led to the Ness of Brodgar, a ceremonial complex the size of four football pitches.
The finds have been remarkable. There are monumental stone buildings laid out to a careful plan, walls up to 4m thick, and slate roofs thousands of years before the next known example. The site has the oldest painted walls in northern Europe. About 700 pieces of Neolithic art have turned up there, more than in the rest of the UK put together. People gathered at the Ness for more than 1,300 years. Near the end, they may have held a feast that used around 400 cattle.
Why Orkney led the way
Orkney sat on the sea routes between northern Europe and Britain. Grooved Ware pottery was invented here more than 5,000 years ago and spread across Britain, probably along with new ideas, art and technology. The Ness shows a society able to organise huge gatherings and building projects. It suggests this corner of Scotland wasn't just a centre of Neolithic Britain. It may have been the centre.
New discoveries, 2026
The story isn't over. The final full season of excavation ended in 2024, and Time Team's special about it had its world premiere in Kirkwall this July. But a radar survey by Time Team's Dr John Gater found something unexpected: a circular feature, unlike anything else at the Ness. This summer the trowels came out again, with the cameras rolling, to find out what it is.
Ring of Brodgar: built on a grand scale
Half a mile away stands the Ring of Brodgar. It went up around the same time as Stonehenge and with its ditch and bank, it's larger. The stones are up to 4.5m tall and were dragged from up to 10 miles away. The ditch was cut through bedrock without any metal tools.
Maeshowe: the dragon in the tomb
Maeshowe is the finest chambered tomb of its kind in northwest Europe, built around 3000 BC. It lay forgotten until Vikings broke in around 1153 and left their own graffiti - including runes and a carved dragon on its walls.
Leave your own mark
We are proud that our jewellery honours this heritage. These ancient places of life, community and worship still have an influence on us today. The icons carrying on through the generations.
That’s why our designs reflect our heritage.
Our Ring of Brodgar collection includes rings, brooches and pendants. Our runic range includes the ability to personalise bangles. Through the runes you can whisper messages of health and happiness to your loved ones. Gifts that have real depth of meaning and a strong connection back to our islands.
