The aim of this report is to make a study of an area centred on Skaill Bay on the west
coast of mainland Orkney, with a view to recommending a proposed conservation area.
The project team has combined first-hand experience of the site with research into archival and published sources, and (to a limited extent) with stakeholders from the Orkney Islands Council and a local expert, James Irvine. The team has visited the area, and photographed, mapped and documented buildings and structures of interest, as well as studying sightlines, field boundaries and land use, and examining footpaths, landmarks and natural formations. Documentary sources include books and articles, policy documents, maps, and government documents, especially those relating to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae at the core of the Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, which is located on the edge of Skaill Bay.
The team’s observations and research are analysed in terms of the geography of the area, its landscape, built heritage, patterns of land ownership and archaeological richness. This report will contain a rationale for the creation of a conservation area based on its analysis of these factors, and make proposals for the area to be protected by a conservation area designation.
