Bumper summer for heritage sites

Historic Scotland has reported a bumper summer of visitor numbers to its sites in Orkney.

From June — August 2013, the organisation, reported 85,682 visitors to ticketed sites in the area, an increase of 9 percent on the same period last year.

Attractions which reported particularly high visitor numbers include the Brough of Birsay (an increase of 35.1 percent) and Hackness Martello Tower and Battery (an increase of 39.8 percent) while Skara Brae welcomed 48,720 visitors during the period, an increase of eight percent.