Skara Brae is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Orkney and the photos below highlight the fact that a fire for heat and cooking, cupboards for storage and beds for sleeping have always been essential accommodation requirements both before and since Neolithic times. However, to add to your Skara Brae experience we always recommend a visit to Kirbuster Museum on Boardhouse Loch which is only about 15 minutes drive up the road from Annie's Place.
There you may be fast forwarding a few thousand years from Skara Brae, but you will see that the accommodation arrangements remained largely the same for our more recent ancestors. Kirbuster Museum is the only surviving "fire hoose" in Northern Europe and shows how the living standards for some Orcadians, even into the 20th century, were only marginally upgraded from the homes in Skara Brae. There are beds set in the walls, an overnight sleeping area for the "beasts" and the hens, and traditional household accutrements. BUT, most importantly, there is a peat fire burning in the centre of the room with a hole in the roof for some of the smoke to escape. All this provides you with a true sensory feel for a home environment of the distant past.....and hopefully reinforces your pleasure in the modern comforts and warmth provided in Annie's Place!
