How far back can we trace the origins of bere, Orkney’s six-rowed barley? A very long way, says Prof. Terry Brown of Manchester University. Using DNA sequencing and other biomolecular methods it’s possible to build a picture of the evolution of bere over the centuries – revealing that it’s been grown in Orkney since the Bronze Age, 4000 years ago.

“Bere is therefore one of the oldest types of barley in Europe, and its cultivation provides an unbroken link between prehistory and today.”