New guide to British and Irish stone circles out next week
The stone circles of Britain and Ireland are the subject of a new book from Professors Colin Richards and Vicki Cummings. Read more
Category: Stones of Stenness
The Standing Stones of Stenness revisited – website updates continue
The updates continue this week, with an overhaul and expansion to the pages dealing with the Stones of Stenness. Read more
Digging into henges and henging…
The Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness have been classed as "henges" since the term was coined in the 1930s. But are they really? And what exactly is a henge? Read more
Traditional names or just another ‘Loda’ old nonsense?
Is there any truth to the antiquarian claims that the two Stenness circles were traditionally known as the 'Temples of the Sun and Moon'? Read more
Spirits of the Standing Stones
The early antiquarians who documented Orkney's ancient monuments paid little attention to the local beliefs surrounding the sites. Read more
Vestrafiold – the megalithic quarry
From at least the early 19th century, Vestrafiold was considered to be a source of the megaliths found in the Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar. Why? Although several quarries were traditionally said to have produced standing stones, Vestrafiold had the proof in situ - quarried, but abandoned, megaliths scattered across the hillside. Read more
Link: Podcast puts spotlight on Neolithic megalithic structures
The Stones of Stenness. (📷 Tim Winterburn)Melvyn Bragg is joined by Professor Vicki Cummings (University of Central Lancashire), Professor Julian Thomas (University of Manchester) and Susan Greaney (University of Exeter)… Read more
Chasing the ‘Brodgar road’ – the claimed route of the stone circle megaliths
For many years I have been fascinated by an “old tradition” of a prehistoric, eight-mile-long track known as the “Brodgar Road”. This, it was said, marked the route of the megaliths bound for the Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness from the quarry site at Vestrafiold. 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
Destruction and reconstruction at the Stones of Stenness
In December 1814, disaster struck the Stones of Stenness when a tenant farmer took it upon himself to obliterate them. Read more
The Stones of Stenness
The second stone circle in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage site is now most commonly known as the Stones of Stenness. Read more
A master of his art – Jim Richardson photographs from around the Ness
Jim Richardson visiting the Ness in 2019. (📷 Jo Bourne)In 2012, Jim Richardson visited the Ness to capture images for a planned National Geographic feature article.The resultant images were truly… Read more
A natural cursus? Water, walls and walking the Ness
Previously we saw that the Dyke of Sean was perhaps once one of three — or possibly four — walls that ran the width of the Ness of Brodgar in the Neolithic. Did these define specific areas – dividing the isthmus into distinct segments of “graded” space – and controlled movement and visibility through them? Read more
The Watchstone
One of Orkney's most imposing standing stones, the Watchstone dominates the south-eastern end of the Brig o’ Brodgar – the place where the Harray and Stenness lochs meet. Read more
