Knap of Howar
Papa Westray
This ancient farmstead is a very special place indeed.
Found on the west coast of the north isle of Papa Westray, the Knap of Howar features two small structures which are the oldest standing stone buildings in north-west Europe.
It's thought they were built around 3800BC and the occupiers were farmers, living off the land and sea in this beautiful part of Orkney. The small buildings are similar to Skara Brae and include hearths, pits, built-in cupboards and stone benches. They could have been in use for around 500 years.
They were first excavated in the 1930s before more research was carried out in the 1970s. The Knap of Howar also sits in a wider archaeological context too, with a chambered cairn on the nearby holm, and a huge Neolithic settlement being uncovered on the beach at the Links of Noltand in neighbouring Westray.