At first glance, the modest remnants of this Viking power base might not be especially impressive, but you have to let your imagination do the work. It's thought Earl Haakon Paulsson built his 12th century great hall here, known as the Earl's Bu. The foundation stones you can see could be from his drinking hall. You can picture some wild Viking nights here more than 800 years ago!

The nearby cemetery also has a unique part of Orcadian history. It's built around the remains of Orkney's only surviving medieval round church. It's thought this 12th century building was based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Haakon fled to atone for his part in the murder of his cousin, Magnus.

The church was in use until the 1750s before being partly demolished. You can still get a sense of its size and shape now.

As well as the obvious history here, including the Orkneyinga Saga Centre, there is a walk along the coast accessed through the cemetery. Follow the route along the shore of Scapa Flow before returning to the car park via the Gyre Road.