Will Climate Change lead to the destruction of Skara Brae?

JULIE GIBSON
County Archaeologist Orkney Islands Council and Lecturer in Archaeology for Orkney College, University of the Highlands and Islands.

This paper discusses the problems of coastal erosion in Orkney, with a particular focus on the site of Skara Brae, part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage site. The value of this iconic site to Scotland is huge – it features in every Scottish child’s early education. It is internationally famous and central to Scotland and Orkney’s tourism industry. Globally tourism is increasingly important and within the Highlands and Islands is a key component of our economy as farming and fishing are for many people no longer economically viable. Against a background of rising sea levels, climate change threatens to speed up natural processes by raising sea levels further, increasing the frequency of storm surges and the battering by the ocean waves. Skara Brae is protected by a sea wall needing constant repair and extension.

Discovered during a storm in the late 19th century, excavated in the 1930’s actually rather little is known about this village in its landscape. Recent geophysics research in the deep sand surrounding the World Heritage Site demonstrates that what is now exposed may be only part of a much bigger village.

Skara Brae’s sea-wall has now provided protection for nearly a century. While it is understood that destruction may be inevitable, it is also clear that we should continue to put the moment off for as long as possible while we look at options for the longer term sustainability of the village, and the values contained in it.