Six archaeological projects across Orkney will receive support in 2026 through the Council’s Archaeology Fund, continuing a long running commitment to protecting and exploring the islands’ rich historic landscape.
The funded projects are The Ness of Brodgar, The Cairns, the Northern Exposure Project, the Stronsay Fieldwalking Survey, Discover Pierowall, and Landscapes of Change.
Each year the council allocates £40,000 through the Archaeology Fund, with half of the budget reserved specifically for work in Orkney’s outer isles.
The fund is designed to strengthen local engagement with archaeology by supporting community involvement, learning opportunities, and projects that deepen the connection between people and place.
Over more than two decades, the fund has helped generate national and international media attention, research outputs, community benefit, and income linked to heritage tourism.
Paul Sharman, Orkney’s County Archaeologist, said the impact of the fund consistently outweighed its financial size.
“The impact of the Archaeology Fund has benefits that over more than twenty years far outweighs the size of the annual £40k fund.
“The projects supported are able to bring in other match-funding on the back of the grant and result in both short and long-term economic and community benefits to their locations.
“The research into and knowledge of Orkney’s archaeological heritage resulting from the fund has paid dividends in community engagement, visitor spend and the worldwide interest in Orkney’s past and how it informs our present.”
Councillor Kristopher Leask, Chair of Enterprise and Infrastructure, said the range of projects highlighted the value of targeted investment.
“These projects show the remarkable impact that thoughtful investment can have across our islands.
“By supporting work from internationally significant sites like the Ness of Brodgar to community driven initiatives in the outer isles, the Archaeology Fund helps promote connections between people and place.
“Over the past five years we’ve seen how targeted funding can unlock research, learning, and real community benefit and it’s exciting to see that momentum continue.”
At the Ness of Brodgar, excavation ended in August 2024 but post excavation research continues, with new funding supporting analysis of geophysical survey data gathered by Time Team in 2025 ahead of a planned targeted excavation this summer.
Work at The Cairns in South Ronaldsay, led by UHI Archaeology Institute lecturer Martin Carruthers, continues to focus on a large Atlantic Roundhouse and related Iron Age and Norse period structures, contributing to wider understanding of Orkney’s past.
Landscapes of Change, led by UHI, is exploring long term environmental and cultural change on Rousay through excavation, landscape survey, and community involvement centred on the historic Westness estate.
The Northern Exposure Project in Sanday is examining the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, using Spurness as a key case study to understand how communities adapted after the decline of large Neolithic settlements.
Discover Pierowall on Westray is a community focused initiative combining archaeology, heritage centres, Norse history and walking routes to help visitors and locals better engage with the island’s past.
The Stronsay Fieldwalking Survey brings residents and archaeologists together to explore the island’s archaeological landscape, focusing on community engagement and practical training rather than artefact recovery alone.
