Explore the ancient and mysterious Orkney Islands, located off the north coast of Scotland. From the Neolithic monuments of Skara Brae to the Viking settlement of Birsay, the Orkney Islands are a unique window into the past. Take a journey through
Orkney, also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north of Caithness and has about 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland, has an area of 523 square kilometres (202 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. Orkney's largest settlement, and also its administrative centre, is Kirkwall.