Some 5,500 Years Apart

The Barn, Westray - 'the jewel of the archipelago's crown' - provides fine accommodation for hostellers in the largest of Orkney's northern isles. A short distance by ferry or plane is the oldest preserved house in northern Europe, the Knap of Howar, a Neolithic farmstead built in around 3500 BC on Papa Westray.

There's more than houses on offer here - such as extensive beaches like Grobust, Westray, where sand, sea and sky offer that attractive element, space. See more of these islands through their website.

Scottish Islands Explorer - fills 52 pages of space with information