Main content

The Brough of Birsay Viking settlement

Why was the Brough of Birsay, on the north west coast of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland, chosen as a settlement by the Norse? It was in a very defensible position surrounded almost entirely by sea and only connected to the mainland by a causeway. The land was fertile with good drainage, and fish and seals were abundant. Only ruins of the settlement remain today, including longhouses, a church and what archaeologists believe was a sauna.

Release date:

Duration:

2 minutes