This short ArcheoSoup video is a great introduction to the Scottish neolithic settlement of Skara Brae. Uncovered by a severe storm in the winter of 1850, this extraordinary 5,000 year-old settlement is now regarded as one of the most important sites of its kind in the world, having gained UNESCO World Heritage status as part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney group of stone-age sites in 1999.
Skara Brae provided the inspiration for the neolithic settlement featured in my forthcoming novel Talus and the Frozen King. As a writer of fiction, I have to confess I’ve played fast and loose with the facts. But if I’ve captured even a little of the atmosphere of this remarkable place, I’ll be satisfied. As the publication date of March 2014 draws closer, I’ll be revealing more about Skara Brae and the story of Talus, the world’s first detective.
- Skara Brae (detailed information about the settlement on the OrkneyJar website
- Digital Dwelling at Skara Brae (visualisation/interpretation video project)
Graham Edwards 
I wanted to go there ever since reading ‘The Boy With The Bronze Axe’ as a child. It certainly lived up to expectations. Good luck with your own telling of its history!
Thanks, Huw. I used some of the architectural and historical features of Skara Brae to create the fictional settlement of Creyak, where most of the novel is set. I wouldn’t presume to present it as a history of the real location, but it’s possible a few echoes from that distant time and place have leaked through into the story.