Geophysics suggests the Ness may not be as unique as once thought
When the Ness of Brodgar was discovered in 2003, it was without parallel. But we now suspect it might not be. Read more
Category: Around the Ness
Enclosing the midden mound – Iron Age activity at the Ness excavation site
The Ness complex was abandoned at the end of the Neolithic, around 2500BC, but at least one section was brought back into use, some 1,800 years later, in the Iron Age. Read more
Big Howe – an Iron Age broch beside the Stones of Stenness?
Stand in the centre of the Stones of Stenness today and a short distance to the south-east, in the adjacent field, you will see a low mound. This is Big Howe, all that remains of a large Iron Age feature that once dominated an area 150 metres away from the stone circle. Read more
The Bay of Skaill trail
We bring this week to a close they way we started it – with another trail!
This time we head to the west coast of the Orkney Mainland and take… Read more
Around the Ness in the 19th century with George Washington Wilson
We were delighted to learn this week that the University of Aberdeen’s George Washington Wilson photographic archive is free to access online.Operating from Aberdeen, on the Scottish mainland, in the… Read more
Time for the old house to die? – henges and houses in the Neolithic
Over the past few weeks, we have looked at expedient architecture - the idea that some Neolithic buildings were hastily built, perhaps dismantled or simply left to become ruinous. This is not restricted to structures. Read more
The ‘Lochview’ Standing Stones
Thousands cross the Ness of Brodgar annually. But, if noticed at all, a pair of standing stones between the two stone circles probably don’t get a second glance. Read more
Wasbister settlement and disc barrow
During the Bronze Age, people gravitated towards the sites of already ancient monuments to bury their dead. As a result, clusters of barrow mounds can often be found around chambered cairns and other Neolithic monuments. Read more
The Stone of Odin
Until the winter of 1814, the holed monolith stood to the north-west of the Stones of Stenness. But although its special place in the customs, traditions and folklore of the people of Orkney is well documented, we know remarkably little about the stone itself. Read more
Walk the Ness Neolithic Trail
Although visitors can’t come to Orkney at present due to the Covid pandemic travel restrictions, we’re all looking forward to a time when things get back to some semblance of… Read more
The knowes, howes and barrows on the Ness of Brodgar
Although the Ring of Brodgar dominates the surrounding area, the stone circle is but the tip of an archaeological iceberg. Read more
The Barnhouse Stone
A solitary lichen-crowned megalith stands in a field about half a mile to the south-east of the Stones of Stenness. Read more
The Deepdale Stone
Head north along the road south-west of the Stenness loch and a single standing stone will be clearly visible on high ground to the north-west. Located in the parish of Stromness, the Deepdale Stone stands 1.8 metres (6ft) high. Read more
Barnhouse – Structure Eight
Around 3000BC, some 200 years after the founding of the Barnhouse settlement, a “building of monumental proportions” was erected on the site of a meeting area on the village outskirts. Read more
Barnhouse – House Two
For three centuries the Barnhouse settlement was dominated by a structure unlike any of the others in the village. Labelled House Two, it was also unique among Neolithic buildings in Orkney until the Ness of Brodgar complex appeared on the scene in 2003. Read more
