Notes for tour groups

The Ness of Brodgar excavation site is now closed to the public. See you in 2024.
Visitors arrive at the Ness of Brodgar excavation site.

Tour groups

  • We ask that tour guides don’t add their clients on to the official site tours. Instead, operators should guide their own groups. There are information boards around the site.
  • Tours of the excavation site are free if you guide your groups yourself, but please ask your guests to consider a donation – we depend hugely on visitor support. It makes up 80 per cent of our funding. In addition, please encourage your guests to buy the guidebook.
  • There is no need to book tour slots for groups of less than eight people – just turn up on site, but please follow the parking guidelines.
  • Larger groups (8-15 people) should book a slot at least 48 hours in advance with site director Nick Card (nick.card@uhi.ac.uk). This is so we can avoid clashes with other tours and try and avoid the official site tour slots.
  • Coach tours or groups of more than 15 need to be booked well in advance with site director Nick Card (nick.card@uhi.ac.uk).
  • Coaches cannot be accommodated on site and coaches/minibuses must not park in the passing places.
  • Please check the site opening times – it is not open all day, every day and in bad weather may close at very short notice.
  • There is no entry to the excavation if the main gates are closed and there is no staff on site.
  • Please do not drop passengers off at the site entrance – the single-track road is busy and potentially dangerous.
  • For out-of-season tours, out-of-hours tours, or private guided tours during the excavation – with site director Nick Card (if he is available) or Sigurd Towrie – we ask for a minimum donation to project funds of £250 or £12 per head, whichever is the larger. Contact info@nessofbrodgar.co.uk for details.