It's official Orkney is the best!

The ancient standing stones and neolithic settlements of Orkney have earned it the title of best Scottish island, according to a survey from Which?

Readers were asked to rate 14 of the biggest of the hundreds of islands in Scotland’s waters, with 10 of them receiving an impressive visitor score of 80% or more.

In first place, Orkney – which is actually made up of around 70 islands of which 20 or so are inhabited - was the only one to receive five stars for its tourist attractions. Visitors were particularly taken with its prehistoric sites which are among the finest and best preserved in the British Isles.

They include the stone age settlement of Skara Brae; the spectacular ring of standing stones known as the Ring of Brodgar; and the chambered burial cairn of Maeshowe. All three form part of the Unesco world heritage site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The island was also praised for its dramatic scenery and secluded sandy beaches.