Kids Go Free At Edinburgh Castle Til November

Submitted by edg on Mon, 19 Oct '09 9.08am

The Orkney Venus, the earliest human figure ever found in Scotland, is going on temporary display at Edinburgh Castle from today til 1st November.

Children will be given free entry to the castle for the duration of the exhibition from 19 October to 1 November. Kids are being encouraged to say the magic word when they arrive - ‘Orkney!' to generate interest in the island.

The 4cm carving, affectionately known by locals as the Westray Wife, was brought to Edinburgh for vital conservation work to protect it for the future, and so experts could carry out preliminary examinations. The exhibition will allow visitors to get a close-up view of the tiny 5,000-year-old female carving - which has the UK's first known depiction of a person's face.

The Orkney Venus was found this summer during the Historic Scotland excavation at the Links of Noltland, on the Orkney island of Westray.

It will tour various venues, returning in the final stage of its tour to Orkney where it will go on temporary show at the Westray Heritage Centre.

"The discovery of the figurine generated worldwide interest," said Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution Michael Russell. "As more research is being carried out we wanted to let people know about the initial findings - and a touring exhibition is a great way to do that. Just as important is that we wanted to take the opportunity to spread the word about Orkney as a fantastic place to go for anyone with an interest in archaeology."

"Sites like the village of Skara Brae, the Neolithic chambered tomb of Maeshowe, and the many sites on some of the less-visited islands are quite remarkable and offer a fantastic insight into the lives and beliefs of the first farmers."

The Orkney Venus will be on show in the ante-room of the castle's Laich Hall along with colourful panels giving information about how and when it was found.