Orkney World Heritage Gateway

Ring of Brodgar

Orkney’s tourism economy is founded on the remarkable history and landscape of the islands.  At the core of the offer is the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, a globally important and utterly remarkable collection of ancient monuments and settlements, including the world-famous settlement of Skara Brae and the outstanding Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe chambered tomb.  It is acknowledged that the current visitor experience and offer does not truly engage visitors and fails to make the most of the sites for the tourism industry in Orkney.  The Orkney World Heritage Gateway project will create a worldleading sustainable tourism offer and transform the visitor experience by:

  • Creating a new world class visitor management and experience for the Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe cluster focused on managing people and vehicle movements, the exploration of place and deepening engagement with the monuments, the landscape and their trove of stories.
  • Delivering island-wide digital visitor information and management applications to disperse tourists across the island groups to spread economic opportunity and manage peak season overcrowding. This will improve the visitor experience and crucially, safeguard and improve the quality of islanders’ lives and the sensitive natural and cultural heritage of the islands.
  • Revitalising the facilities at Skara Brae to complement the Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe.

The Orkney World Heritage Gateway project will be supported with joint investment of up to £6.5 million from the Scottish Government and UK Government (SG £5.5 million/UKG £1 million).

For more information, contact Inga Burton