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Links of Noltland

Grobust Bay, Westray, Orkney
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Excavation season is May to September
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See archaeologists excavate prehistoric settlements that were protected by sand dunes for thousands of years until their discovery in the 1800s. 

Links of Noltland is a brilliantly preserved farming settlement dating from about 3300 BC to 800 BC. Neolithic remains include a dozen buildings and the ‘Westray Wifie’ figurine. Grobust Bay is also home to Orkney’s largest Bronze Age settlement.

Visit from May to September, when it’s possible to see the site uncovered as excavation work continues. Links of Noltland has featured on BBC Two series Digging for Britain.

What to see and do

  • See parts of Orkney's largest Bronze Age settlement, which includes homes, farming fields and a graveyard

  • View three stone figurines found here – the earliest depictions of human form found in the UK – at Westray Heritage Centre

  • Take in the stunning views across the sand dunes to the Atlantic Ocean

  • Look out for seals swimming offshore

Coastal landscape at the Links of Noltland showing a grassy track leading toward a rocky shoreline. Wooden fence posts stand along the track in the foreground. Beyond them, waves break gently against a curved bay of pale sand and stone. Open fields stretch across the middle distance with a few scattered buildings on the horizon. The sky is bright and clear, giving the scene a wide, open feel.
Rocky beach at the Links of Noltland, with large rounded boulders and flat stone slabs scattered across bright white sand. Dark seaweed lies along the shoreline where small waves break against the coast. Low grassy dunes rise in the background to the right, while open sea stretches to the horizon under a clear blue sky with a few wispy clouds.
Bright white sand dunes at the Links of Noltland, with uneven ridges and eroded patches forming small mounds and hollows. Sparse vegetation grows in scattered clumps across the dunes. A low fence runs horizontally in the middle distance, with grassy fields beyond and the deep blue sea stretching out to the right. The sky is clear with a few wispy clouds, and two human shadows appear at the bottom right of the foreground.

Discover more with the Orkney Digital Guide

Discover nearly 5,000 years of Orkney’s history and prehistory, including Links of Noltland, with our Orkney Digital Guide.
Buy the Orkney Digital Guide at stor.scot
Aerial view of the Links of Noltland archaeological landscape, showing low grassy mounds, exposed stone structures, and areas of dune sand. Several rectangular excavation zones with uncovered stone walls are visible across the centre and right side of the site. To the left, pale sand dunes border the grassy terrain, while open fields occupy the top of the image. The scene shows a mixture of natural dune formations and partially excavated prehistoric settlement remains.

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