Is This THE MOST INCREDIBLE Historic Site?

Shetland has some of the most incredible historic sites in Scotland. Scottish history tour guide, Bruce Fummey, visits Jarlshof to see 5000 year of history from Neolithic through Bronze Age, Iron Age, Pictish, Viking and Scots. Surely this IS our most incredible historic site?#
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Videography by Matt Ward at www.visualsofscotland.co.uk
Scotland History Tours is here for people who want to learn about Scottish history and get ideas for Scottish history tours. I try to make videos which tell you tales from Scotland's past and give you information about key dates in Scottish history and historical places to visit in Scotland. Not all videos are tales from Scotland's history, some of them are about men from Scotland's past or women from Scotland's past. Basically the people who made Scotland. From April 2020 onward I've tried to give ideas for historic days out in Scotland. Essentially these are days out in Scotland for adults who are interested in historical places to visit in Scotland.
As a Scottish history tour guide people ask: Help me plan a Scottish holiday, or help me plan a Scottish vacation if your from the US. So I've tried to give a bit of history, but some places of interest in Scotland as well.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

See another fantastic historic site in Shetland kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYfad4uagNSXh8k

[@djmarti7773]

On better thoughts a wid prefer a guided tour by yersel as your better then aw ma history teachers when at school in the 70s.. I live near Kinross and love my history around here, it's mind-boggling how much is based around my home..

[@JesseP.Watson]

Grand presentation as per usual but thought to let you know, it took me quite a while to work out why that red squiggliness with a North arrow was staying on the screen... hmm... it might work better if the dot representing you stayed put and the map slid around under it, like on a FPS game, which is easily understandable to youths of today. Hmm... in fact, I might do that myself.... Aye.

[@maurachapman4179]

@@djmarti7773!

[@djmarti7773]

@@maurachapman4179 ??

[@fredsmith-kingofthelunatic7810]

G'day Bruce, Just came across this. Did you score yourself a part? Nicely done old mate. Big time movie star. You lovely mug appears at 0:28 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJjZZ35-mqZ5m7s

[@jimashley9781]

Most of Orkney. Stunning insight to our ancestors and the trade routes

[@joanr3189]

Peelng the layers is seductive. Experienced this in Israel, civilization upon civilization. It’s exciting and eerily compelling to be in these spaces and maybe sense the silent presence of people who lived there. And ate shellfish. Shetland draws us into its past and Bruce does this drawing like no other.

[@douglasherron7534]

Don't forget the broon sauce! 😆

[@pawshands9706]

Don't you mean occupied Palestine?

[@Rose-jz6ix]

@@douglasherron7534 I would die. No way would I eat anything with a shell 🐚 broom sauce or not.🤢🤢🤮🤢🤮

[@douglasherron7534]

@@Rose-jz6ix 'Broon' (as in brown) not broom. So you would never eat lobster, prawn, or crab?

[@Rose-jz6ix]

@@douglasherron7534 no never in a million years. Ignoring the taste & texture (yuck) after a while I feel like the lining of my stomach is being ripped off. Thanks about the broon sauce, my auto correct tried to change the name again. When my Scottish daughter-in-law was living in Australia she made a smoked cod, milk, onion & smashed potato soup. It was delicious. My father-in-law was Scottish & would make a mince & potato dish. Very simple, but nice.

[@Static8eight]

The New Grange site in Ireland has to be the most impactful site for me. Being inside a Neolithic structure and seeing how much they knew about astronomy even without having a written language was humbling. It changed the way I understand human advancement and made me marvel at the intellect of the original makers.

[@johnhamilton4677]

My mother's family (Hunter) came to America from Weisdale and I love these videos about Shetland.

[@minervamclitchie3667]

Being of Indian descent, I've been to mohanjo daro and harrapana, to se what may have been the world's oldest civilization and may well have been a democracy with as close to modern plumbing as had so far been found, makes me proud of my ancestry. Yeah, it looks like they actually may have eaten beef. Some surprising finds. We has humans need to get over we're somehow more intelligent than our ancestors. We're just luckier. Love this.

[@thedoveston6781]

It's not that anyone is more or less intelligent. It's that every generation has the collective recorded knowledge and experience of every generation before it. An amateur astonomer today will know more about the universe than the likes of William Herschel could ever imagine, simply by accessing Wikipedia or googling any telescope array. We're just lucky we were born when we were. Or unlucky, depending how you look at it.

[@chrisapperley2616]

How is it your ancestry?

[@minervamclitchie3667]

@@chrisapperley2616 my father was an Indian immigrant to the US. My husband is a Scottish immigrant to the US, born and raised in Edinburgh.

[@bsdnfraje]

​@@thedoveston6781 But what if it's wrong? Take Tycho Brahe for example. We inherit their knowledge, along with their errors. In fact, I would suggest we might currently have more error than knowledge collected in this century.

[@NurseryEnterprises]

We were born on third base and we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors.

[@YourMamaCat]

BUT DID THEY EAT SHELLFISH? 🤣 This may be my favorite episode so far, because yes, this is definitely the most incredible historic site. Well done you, as always. The Shetland series has been astonishing! ❤

[@thatsme9875]

the stone fishtraps at Brewarrinna in western New South Wales are around 40,000 years old, and may be the oldest man-made structures on earth !

[@ZiGGi03]

gobekli tepe is probably the oldest. It was buried under a hill of dirt pot belly hill is the translation that was hidden around 40000 years ago buried then so was built before agriculture. Due to the mutations in grains in the region to help grain seeds stay on the stalk so you can harvest them .

[@thatsme9875]

@@ZiGGi03 they are all very interesting ;)

[@resourcedragon]

@@ZiGGi03: You sure? My understanding is Gobekli Tepe is about 12,000 years old, which is already remarkable as it is a massive structure that would have needed a lot of labour to build and it was built before the invention of agriculture, so we don't know how they fed the workers. That said, the fish trap engineering in Brewarrina is around 40,000 years old and a remarkable example of extremely early engineering designed to make collecting food easier and to ensure continuity of food supply.

[@FYCH45]

@@resourcedragon You are more or less right and Zigi is mistaken about the dates. Wikipedia - not always a reliable source, but OK on this - gives dates of "between c. 9500 and 8000 BCE" i.e. between c. 11,500 and 10,000 years ago for Gobekli Tepe. There are many references given to the article. And, for any prehistoric structure or object, any claim that is the "oldest" must be heavily qualified with "may be" "possibly" etc. They are just the oldest which has survived to the present, and has been discovered by archaeologists. The very earliest examples of anything are usually among the least likely to have survived. And the amount of detailed archaeological studies which have been done, varies widely according to areas of the world.

[@yippee8570]

@@resourcedragon there's no actual evidence, from what I've read, that the Brewarrina fish traps are 40,000 years old. The truth is that no one knows how old they are, but that certainly doesn't diminish their importance. As far as we know, Gobleki Tepe is the oldest construction that can be, more or less, accurately dated

[@faithhowe6170]

I like that you mentioned various events in history that were going on while these places were occupied, it really puts things in context.

[@gregorytaylor3146]

I loved it! You've raised your own very high bar Bruce! Brilliant!

[@frankgellenthin3733]

Excellent video Bruce. Telling the history of Jarlshof is one thing, putting the eras of that site in context with what was happening elsewhere in the world is fantastic!

[@elendil7]

Outstanding video, Bruce! The wee site map on the bottom left of the screen, showing us where you were walking, was a great added feature. I continue to share your videos and ask Public Television in the States to get you on the air. Thank you❤️

[@arlenesobhani8739]

That would be awesome to see these on PBS!

[@_i_am_unceded]

Honor and Respect 🪶 Greetings from Saint Augustine Florida

[@stmtom2811]

I love the addition of the map showing where you are as you go.

[@paulking54]

As part Shetlander, grandfather Harry , it's really a privilege to see you featuring this place. Big UP!!

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

You're welcome

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

We loved our Scottish trip in 2019. While staying in Inverness, we took a bus/ferry/bus tour of the Orkneys and visited the amazing site of Skara Brae, which very much resembles this site.

[@evanhughes7609]

I've not been to Shetland, but my wife and I visited Orkney back in 2009. Skara Brae, Maeshowe, Ring of Brodgar and the Broch of Gurness were amazing, never seen anything like them before.

[@tonysutton6559]

We loved those sites on Orkney but Jarlshof takes it to another level. If it wasn't for child minding our grandson I would love to head north to Scotland in April and spend 6 months revisiting the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Hebrides plus exploring the islands we have not been to so far.

[@joegroves1519]

GREAT HISTORY!!! 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@stewarthamilton7205]

I remember coming to Jarlshof with my father for an archaeological conference back in the late 1960’s. Flying in to Sumburgh Airport over the site. My father led the group around many places including Jarlshof as well as Mousa, St.Ninans Isle and Clickhimin. He led the excavations at Jarlshof in the 1950’s and wrote a report on it so comprehensively that it was designated ‘Report No. 1’ by the HMSO. It became the benchmark for all future government archaeology reports in the UK. Many who worked on the site were locals: there were 2 crafters on the other promontory who were brothers and their niece ran the Sumburgh Hotel in the 1960’s. A lasting memory for me was exploring the souterainnes on site, as well as climbing the Broch at Mousa! Great fun as a kid! Much later, after my father died, I found his old plate glass slides from the 1950’s which I was able to give back to the museum in Lerwick. Thanks for the memories!

[@tjmartin6632]

You’re a trip, Bruce! And an awesome tour guide full of knowledge about the people and places you take us, as well as concurrent events and other nuggets for further intrigue.

[@ericthompson3982]

I agree that square sausage is indeed an important technological leap forward.

[@minischembri9893]

Interestingly enough the word Hof is German for yard or court. And the silhouettes of the stone age or Big Stone era dwellings resemble the equally old stone age temples in Malta. History is fascinating !! Love from a German history teacher. :)

[@Mote.]

Scotland looks so beautiful

[@andyj5522]

All these videos you do are absolutely fantastic Bruce thanks 👍

[@roberthunter5119]

I love this channel. Thank you VERY much for all the work you put into these videos.

[@christopherhamilton2752]

Another amazing adventure Bruce!!

[@chillbill5773]

Bruce, you are an excellent presenter, thank you for teaching me something new.

[@NorthernBandit1]

What a wonerful explanation and tour.

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

Flat out amazing. Being retired and not financially well off, your videos showing these historic sites, are as close as I'll ever get to visiting. I can't thank you enough for that Bruce. 'Tis a blessed day I clicked on your video when it popped up in my wee feed.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Brilliant

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

Great video! Thanks for including what was happening with other civilizations at the time.

[@markferguson3365]

This place is amazing! Bruce, thank you for sharing this place!

[@jodypschaeffer]

Astounding and humbling. Great video :)

[@lorifogarty1410]

Very interesting. Reminds me of Skara Brae in Orkney. Orkney was one of the sites that amazed me as well as all the neolithic sites in Ireland.

[@BarneyLeith]

Another great video, Bruce. Many thanks.

[@erinf4810]

Brilliant as always. 😊

[@kevinbrady6075]

Well done!

[@oldmanofthemountains3388]

Amazing, as always!!!

[@JohnKMcCarthy]

Great presenter.

[@stephenandrijischyn3804]

You are fortunate enough to be sò close to be so close to thousands of years of history it's on my bucket list, but I have to imagine that I would be awestruck to stand where hundreds of generations of our ancestors lived

[@drgrandma1]

Bruce, I’ve been to Jarlshof too! I was so impressed by the long history of humans in one place, and loved the way the site was prepared, by excavating down to specific levels in different areas. It is a capsule of thousands of years of humanity. Plus yes, shellfish. I agree with you there. ❤

[@SlothLinn]

You have a compelling way of telling these stories, and give them the fascination and respect they deserve! This is definitely on my bucketlist!

[@wessexheathen5708]

Another great, and interesting video Bruce!!

[@garymcmanus9946]

Looks amazing and brought to life as always by your goodself sir. I visited scara brae in Orkney and was blown away by that, this looks similar.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Very cool!

[@johnsmart2534]

Another really interesting documentary Bruce - really enjoy watching you bring the history of Scotland to life - would love to see some longer programs from you - all the best 👍

[@frankhancock2881]

An amazing site. Definitely one I'd love to see

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Definitely!

[@slydermartin6008]

Another wonderful video. As a Builder when I see structures like this I wonder about the "Who", the actual persons that built these walls. The skills. In Edinburgh "Who" put those first stones at deaths doorstep to create what would become Edinburgh Castle? Real people with skills, families, and the occasional trip to the Fish Market in New Haven for Shellfish.

[@brodyrobertson8887]

Another great one Bruce. Loving the northern videos.

[@pamelaadam9207]

One of my fav places on Shetlland

[@charliefleeting1976]

Fantastic as ever.

[@MuntsonWeekdays]

When learning about the lives of folks from thousands of years ago I'm filled with an existential vertigo - it's such a perspective shift. You do an incredible job humanizing people from an age that seems so far removed from us now. I can't stop thinking about all the things time has eroded from these people's lives that must have felt like permanent fixtures for them at the time. But humans will always be human and we'll always eat shellfish when we absolutely have to.

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

🤮

[@davidmartin2957]

One of my favourite places is Scara Brae the Neolithic settlement on Orkney an other is the standing stones at Callanish also just along the road Dun Carloway Broch. Just a few.

[@sleepybooks9055]

Came here from Max’s videos and this may be one of my new fav channels.

[@danliberty734]

It still boggles the mind that stone walls laid thousands of years ago without mortar still stands today. I live in Virginia in the US, where you can follow the history of this country. In one day, you can go from Jamestown (the first permanent settlement), to Yorktown (the defeat of the British army in our Revolutionary war, yay), to Appomattox (the defeat of the Army of Virginia in our Civil War. I live in Midlothian, the site of the first coal mines and the first railroad. The state is not as storied as Shetland or Scotland, but I still love the history here.

[@theywantusdead373]

At least you're town name goes back before the founding of the US midlothian is a good old scottish name

[@danliberty734]

@@theywantusdead373 I believe it got the name due to the abundance of coal here.

[@janicemorelock5791]

I might never get to Scotland, but I still dream of going. My husband and I list it as a 'got to do' someday.

[@scottc1589]

As per usual, just another outstanding Scottish history lesson! :) Such consistently excellent content is why we're Patreon supporters. Thank you, Bruce!

[@Ryan_Dye-r]

Interesting!

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

At about the age of 5, my Grandfather took me Pevensey Castle, giving me the potted history of the place. Saxon shore fort, added to by Normans etc... the 'folk history', helped give me a love history and the stories of ordinary people.

[@robertanthonynolan9697]

Your presentations always put a smile on my face you make history fun thanks

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@andrewduke1489]

Superb!

[@crabman3144]

I'm not sure about the most incredible historic site, but it's definitely up there! I'd love to see it in person someday.

[@Watcher1852]

GREAT VIDEO THANK U, SHARE, SHARE

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Thanks for sharing

[@dickboba]

This could quite possibly be your "Stairway to Heaven" - your "Freebird" - your "love love me do" history video! WOW!

[@merlapittman5034]

Excellent video, and the running joke about eating shellfish had me laughing out loud!

[@TheBestlaidschemes]

Oh gosh! You are so funny! hehe... will have to come up and see you sometime soon...

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

Yeah man😎

[@novaricos]

I will enjoy listening to anything you find interesting and want to talk about,( but especially anything Scottish, lol)

[@paulkelcher824]

Iona is one place that you can feel the history., it was pretty awesome hearing two old ladies having a yarn in Gaelic over a cup of tea in a cafe . The trip from Oban in a ferry was a great trip too. Staffa was a pretty cool place to visit, a long way , but strangely familiar from home in NZ :)

[@alansmithee8831]

A'reyt Bruce. A short video, full of energy and not to be ignored, like those Shetland ponies. Now where is that jar of mussels?

[@captainskippy6622]

Definitely need to add this to my trip next year. And I love shellfish!

[@FoxyintheForest]

I visited this site last May and was absolutely GOBSMACKED. It's incredible!! All of Shetland really, but this site. WOW

[@keniza1]

I’ve been to Shetland twice and, therefore, Jarl’s Hoff twice. I remember being as excited as you to be surrounded by 4000 years plus of history. A fantastic site. But, when I got to the big hoose and read the gist, I hated the laird. Recently in Orkney where there’s a fairly new dig that might be uncovering dwellings up to 7000 years old. An excellent video, as usual, thanks.

[@vallovesnature8449]

Quite the depth of history at this site. The stonework is amazing. Perhaps a few shellfish remain☺️. Thanks so very much for this informative tour Bruce!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️

[@user-hu6lr3vr7g]

I love your jumper.

[@erlingleask1247]

Another great video Bruce. Brought back good memories,Sumburgh lighthouse was my late father's last posting and both my parents are buried just up the road at Toab Kirk. Keep up the excellent work

[@fladder1]

Besides all the castles, battlefields and whisky distilleries, 2 historical sites have made a remaining impression on me, the Bonawe ironworks, and the area around Ardvreck castle

[@annasaylor3566]

This is awesome and I love shellfish 🦐🦞 lol. Thank you ☮️🌹🦋❤️

[@bobbygeorge3698]

i just love to listen to you... your voice is so calming.. and what you say, so interesting, thank you. 👌

[@mauricejohnston8454]

Iona.... something magical about this island

[@zoefroon4269]

Fab thank you for sharing

[@babybear9443]

Another brilliant video! I live near Strathclyde Park, and I remember as a kid running around the Roman Bathhouse there. Yeah, it's not the most impressive Roman site, but my little brain couldn't quite believe how long it had been there! That's what started my fascination with history.

[@Chuck93465]

Thanks

[@zolacnomiko]

I learned about Earl Robert Stewart and his son Earl Patrick "Black Patie" Stewart when I lived in Orkney, where they were *just* as unpopular. I wish I'd had the chance to get up to Shetland and see Jarlshof, wow! What a spectacular site! I think the most incredible ancient site I visited was Skara Brae in Orkney, where we have not just a Neolithic farmhouse, but an entire Neolithic village. The site is very similar to Jarlshof, buried and preserved under sand dunes for a very long time. Absolutely incredible preservation of the day-to-day lifestyle of Neolithic Orcadians! Orkney and Shetland both have such amazing historical/archaeological sites, and they're very beautiful, with fantastic wildlife. Highly recommend a visit!

[@peterkelly1665]

Marvelous presentation. The amount of labor ,and skill in construction of these structures is just mind boggling to build without mortar just astonishing Very enjoyable presentation. All on shellfish

[@tiffanyannhowe1712]

Great episode! Thank you!

[@sylviagibson4639]

I visited was Provand’s Lordship in Glasgow, the history is awesome. The Orkney Isles are on my bucket list. I love Scotland.

[@janettesinclair6279]

Hello, Bruce! Did I just see you in a film - "The Lost King"? Fascinating story. I hated history in school, but you have a knack of making it come alive, - "let me tell you a story" - so thank you for all your hard work in making it interesting.

[@iainhamilton6773]

Hi Bruce, Just been to see The Lost King, great seeing you in it.

[@francisdeans402]

You are the BEST...

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

😘

[@davidarchibald50]

Simply beautiful history Bruce. All those hundreds of generations living in relative harmony with their world and then in a few short years the massive wave of planetary destruction that is us.

[@jasonbennett7002]

This vid was an excellent accompaniment to my evening meal of shellfish. 😁

[@ScotlandHistoryTours]

🤣

[@divarachelenvy]

Absolutely fascinating Bruce, thank you...

[@kimblecheat]

Another excellently informative and entertaining video Bruce.

[@pigeonpallz1733]

The mini map is awesome 👍

[@fuzielectron5172]

Square Sausage sold me. Visited Skara Brae very impressive, this looks very similar, one day I'll get to Shetland.

[@johnedmond9469]

I am most in awe of the SCOTT MONUMENT on Princes Street and of course HOLYROOD PARK and St Margarets Lake. The only Lake in Scotland and Arthur's Seat.

[@clothcapkev2088]

The area i live in blows my mind to think, if i travel only a few miles in any direction. There is so much history from prehistoric cave paintings, to the river i used to canoe on the pilgrim fathers fled along to get to Holland. A nearby village has a castle owned by the Lancastrian side ( tho its in Yorkshire),whilst ten mile away is one of Richard the thirds's favourite castles.

[@robbylock1741]

Love your videos! Keep them coming!

[@ubmastering]

If life expectancy is taken into account. The amount of family generations that lived across this site is mind boggling.

[@bradlilly8603]

I agree Bruce eating shellfish, I would move too

[@robinmcmillan8102]

Amazing this seems completely unique 5000 years of human progression on show in one location. Today we judge ourselves too much on the last 100 years or so let’s face it we are just a blip. Just imagine the house that was lived in for 1800 years (with some mods). Thanks this was eye opening.