Skara Brae is an internationaly important site (quite rightly so) yet there is little protection of the site.
When the visitor centre is closed you can walk around yourself.
There is a footpath running alongside the centre or access is easy from the beach.
All it would take is one lunatic with a sledgehammer and untold damage could be caused in no time at all.
Shouldn't these types of site be better protected?
I know you can't protect every standing stone / circle etc but a fragile site like Skara Brae could be easily damaged.
On the other hand Carl, just at the moment there is heightened anxiety about a terrorist attack on London or the Olympics ... what's to stop someone determined to destroy in the name of some deep held belief. We live in worrying times - the idea of someone travelling to a remote archaeological site on a fairly remote island off the north-east coast of Scotland to make a notorious name for themselves must be quite low down the list.