After my wonderful visit to the Orkneys last week I visited the Shetlands and Jarlshof. It is similar though much bigger than Skara Brae and visitors are able to wander around freely. Also by the sea, the neolithic bit is now thought to be 7000 years old. Our guide, who was local, produced some oyster shells which had been found in the sandbanks along the shoreline – he told us oysters are not found in those waters so must they have been brought there by the neolthic settlers; these shells had been examined by photo luminescence which dates the last time daylight fell on minerals and were found to be 7000 years old.
Jarlshof reflects a settlement dating back to the Neolithic. In the earliest part of the village a Bronze-Age smithy can be seen.
There was a large Iron-Age roundhouse in the courtyard of the broch which was built about 2000 years ago.
Other additions to the village include a wheelhouse which was occupied until the Norsemen arrived plus the remains of stone buildings right up to the 17th century with the ruins of the laird's house.
It is a wonderful and remote place not far from the stunning Sumborgh Head where I saw puffins close up for the first time in my life.
(I did take lots of photos but had difficulty posting them, will have another try when I get time)
Would recommend taking advantage of the audio guide which comes included in the admission fee, and does a very good job of explaining the various layers of settlement here. Takes about 30 mins for the basic package, though there are optional extras which would take it over an hour.
Discovered in 1905 when a tremendous storm uncovered parts of the village. Up until such time the only thing of note on the peninsula was the 17th century manor house.
The remains of many civilisations which inhabited the site have been found there, Picts and Vikings to name but a few.
The site is a wonderful place to look around but alas a lot of the clues that could have been present during the initial excavation were lost due to the innocent naievity of the archaeologists all those years ago.
Luckily a very similar site is at this moment being excavated not to far away at Old Scatness, this new site should help fill in the blanks about Jarlshof.
Here's a bit of Jarlshof related trivia for you: apparently the misleadingly Norse name was made up by Walter Scott, who visited the site in 1814 and made it the setting for his novel 'The Pirate'.
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