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Mounted cannon on circular stone gun platform overlooking blue sea and distant hills.

Explore mighty coastal defences built to protect merchant shipping interests during the Napoleonic Wars. These rare and well-preserved military remains never saw action.

Look out from the Martello Tower towards Crockness Tower, enjoying views across Longhope Sound to Scapa Flow. Or get up close to the battery – the remarkable and rare survival is full of interesting features

Explore the rooms inside Martello Tower and imagine what life was like for those stationed here

See evidence of barracks life – including barrack room furniture and other military memorabilia

Round stone Martello tower with laddered entrance and flagpole under cloudy sky.
A drawing showing a birds-eye view of a small complex of buildings on a piece of land by the sea
View overlooking the grassy caved looking inside Skara Brae.

Discover more with the Orkney Digital Guide

Enhance your visit with videos, stories and 3D scans to help you uncover nearly 5,000 years of Orkney’s past.
Buy Orkney Digital Guide

Ready for an adventure?

Use a Membership or Explorer Pass to discover centuries of Scottish history and heritage, all while saving money and supporting our work.

Membership

Ideal for regular visitors and heritage supporters

Unlimited annual pass for all ticketed sites plus daytime events

Two adults, holding hands with two young children, walk through a graveyard, with historical stone ruins in the background. It is a sunny day.
  • Unlimited annual pass for all ticketed sites plus daytime events
  • Discount in our shops and cafés (on site and online)
  • Historic Scotland magazine delivered to your door
  • Free or discounted entry to sites in England, Wales and the Isle of Man

Explorer Pass

Perfect for short-term trips and sightseeing

Valid for 14 consecutive days

A family walking across a grassy lawn with the New Abbey Corn Mill building in the background.
  • Valid for 14 consecutive days
  • Entry to all ticketed sites, including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle
  • 20% discount on audio guides at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Glasgow Cathedral
  • Guaranteed entry when you pre-book online