http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6951100.stm
????? UH?? Does this mean it wasnt Brian Finlay then?!
Orkney vandal suspect ruled out
The graffiti was discovered by staff on Tuesday
Orkney police looking for a group of tourists in connection with the vandalism of Skara Brae, have ruled them out of their enquiries.
Earlier officers stopped a silver coloured people carrier that they had been trying to trace on the island and questioned the occupants.
However, they say they are satisfied that the group had nothing to do with graffiti found at the site on Tuesday.
Another line of enquiry into the incident is now being followed.
Earlier this week staff found that the vandals had entered one of the houses at the 5,000-year-old site and drawn a smiley face, their name and the date with black marker pen, defacing both the dresser and one of the bed posts.
Line of enquiry
They had also written the words "Scouse Celts".
Police initially believed the suspect was one of the tourists - who had written their name at the site.
They have now renewed their call for information.
Historic Scotland, which is responsible for the upkeep of the world heritage site, said that it was liaising with its conservation centre in Edinburgh to find the best way of removing the graffiti as soon as possible.
"Graffiti removal on buildings of historical or architectural importance needs to be handled sensitively," said a spokeswoman.
Our visitors have reacted with surprise and sympathy to the damage caused
Historic Scotland spokeswoman
"The careful process needs to ensure any long-term damage caused by the graffiti is kept to a minimum and the stone itself is not further damaged as part of the graffiti removal process.
"Our visitors have reacted with surprise and sympathy to the damage caused."
The cost - which is expected to be substantial - is not yet known.
Skara Brae was first discovered following a major storm in 1850, which battered the island to such an extent that an outline of a series of stone buildings was revealed.
A series of excavations was carried out over the next century, finally revealing eight stone dwellings which were originally believed to be an Iron Age settlement.
However, in the 1970s radiocarbon dating showed that the village was originally built between 3200 and 2200 BC.
Today the ancient village is under serious erosion threat from the sea and Orkney's fierce weather conditions.
