Video: Virtual tour of Orkney’s Maeshowe tomb

SCOTS across the globe will now be able to enjoy one of Orkney’s most enigmatic Neolithic monuments from their own homes.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled a new virtual tour of the 5,000-year-old chambered tomb at Maeshowe at a special reception in Kirkwall on Tuesday.

The tour has been created using 3D laser-scanning data collected as part of the Scottish Ten project, a collaboration between Historic Scotland, Glasgow School of Art and CyArk to digitally document Scotland’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The project will also document five historic sites from around the world.

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site comprises Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness, the Barnhouse settlement, Skara Brae prehistoric village and the famous standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar. In addition to the tomb, images of the Orkney stone circles and standing stones were also recorded by the Scottish Ten team.

Ms Sturgeon, who visited Maeshowe on Tuesday, said: “Maeshowe has fascinated people for millennia with its incredible structure, having been built even before Egypt’s great pyramids. Now, people on the other side of the world can use this new tour to get a better understanding of the ancient and magical history Scotland has on offer.

The Deputy First Minister also announced that the Scottish Ten team will shortly begin scanning the Eastern Qing Tombs, the final resting place of some of China’s best-known emperors, following the Chinese Government’s agreement to incorporate the site into the Scottish Ten project.