Maeshowe is the best preserved neolithic tomb on Orkney and it holds the largest collection of runes outside of Scandinavia. Entrance is by guided tour only, in small groups. It’s not easy to get tickets – when we tried to book in early April there were only two dates left in June where we could both go together!

Runes, in case you didn’t know, are a form of Viking writing. The Vikings apparently broke into Maeshowe after it had been sealed up for centuries. The events are recorded in the Orkneyinga saga, which is possibly not entirely historically correct, but is very dramatic. Whilst in the tomb (they say sheltering from a storm, but I reckon looking for treasure) they left a lot of runic graffiti. Most of it seems to be along the lines of ‘Erik was here’ and boasts about how good they were at writing ruins, but there’s also a very detailed and beautiful ‘dragon’.

Photography isn’t allowed inside Maeshowe. Whilst that does spare you footage of me crouch-shuffling along the entrance tunnel it means you miss out on seeing those carvings. Or it would have done, had I not bought you a couple of postcards.