Excavations at The Links of Noltland are proving to be one of
the most significant digs ever to take place in Scotland. The
site is revealing extensive settlement and finds spanning the
Neolithic to Bronze Age periods and in 2009 the Orkney Venus
figurine, or Westray Wife as she is also known, was discovered.
Links of Noltland, on the coast of Westray, is a property in the
care of Historic Scotland that has fascinated archaeologists and
antiquarians for generations. Sand dunes had protected the
archaeology for thousands of years, but as the fierce winds have
eroded the landscape, incredible settlements have been revealed.
The site was first identified in the 19th century, and following
excavations in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s led by Dr David
Clarke of the National Museum of Scotland, the site was taken
into state care. A management programme was instigated at this
time, including monitoring of the erosion throughout the 1990’s.
This, and further work revealed the erosion of the site was
accelerating an