Peggy, our grandson Cody, and I visited the main Orkney Island in June as part of our CIE tour of the Scottish Highlands. Seeing ginger haired coos (cows) and Neolithic standing stones and villages were the highlights of our visit to the island. The photos in this post were taken by Peggy, Cody, or me. The maps are from Apple Maps.
You’ve heard of Stonehenge and likely seen photos and even documentaries featuring these ancient and mysterious standing stones in southern England. But have you ever heard of the Ring of Brodgar on the Island of Orkney in the far north of Scotland? Erected in 2500 BCE, at approximately the same time Stonehenge was being built, 60 stones formed a circle that stretched for 340 feet (104 meters) across. 36 of these stones remain standing today in an impressive array. The clouds provided a dramatic backdrop.We took a ferry from the town of Thurso on mainland Scotland up to Stromness and then crossed the main island of Orkney to Kirkwall where we stayed. The road distance between Stromness to Kirkwall is 15 miles, which provides a perspective on the size of the island. The Ring of Brodgar was one of four neolithic sites we visited on Orkney, which also included the Standing Stones of Stenness plus the villages of Barnhouse Settlement and Skara Brae. All four are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The red pin on the bay above Stromness to the left is the location of Skara Brae. The one to the right between the two lochs/lakes is the Ring of Brodgar.This provides a closer view. The upper red dot between the two lochs/lakes is the Ring of Brodgar. The lower red dot is the location of the Stones of Stenness and the Barnhouse Settlement, which is next to it. The distance between the two red dots is approximately 1 mile. Skara Brae is located on the lower side of Skaill Bay at the top left corner, about 5 1/2 miles from the Ring of Brodgar.The stones of the Ring of Brodgar are impressive— either as a whole or looked at singularly— standing up to 15 feet tall, each with a unique personality. Visitors are invited to follow a path that leads around the complete 1,250 foot circle. A nine foot deep ditch surrounds the pillars. Known as a henge— think Stonehenge, it was carved out of sandstone by the original inhabitants.A view of 8 of the stones.The unique looks add to the mystery of what purpose the stones served.Opposites attract?The chief?A number of stones had triangular tops. Which provided great perches. Cody took this photo. In fact Cody took a lot of photos that included birds! “They just show up,” he claimed. We are glad they did. The numerous lichens on the rocks added to their photogenic quality. Lichens, BTW, are among the oldest living organisms on earth, the oldest reaching over 8000 years. They have been hanging out in Scotland for some 400 million years!The walk around the Ring of Brodgar also includes a burial mound as shown on the left of this photo. A number of burial mounds are found within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another one can be seen in the distance. The most famous is Maeshowe, which we didn’t visit. Traveling one mile south from the Ring of Brodgar over a stream that connects the sea water Loch of Stenness with the fresh water Loch of Harray, you come to the Stones of Stenness. Once consisting of 12 stones, it now has 4. It is thought to be the oldest henge site in the British Isles, dating back to 3100 BCE, some 500 years before Stonehenge and the Ring of Brodgar.An ancient hearth that is believed to have been utilized for ceremonial purposes (such as burning the bones of the dead and sacrificed animals) is located in the center of the stones.The ceremonies carried out at the hearth would have been connected to the Neolithic Barnhouse Settlement found a short walk away. Excavated between 1986-1991, the bases of at least 15 houses were discovered, each containing a central hearth, beds built against the walls, stone storage areas and internal drains. We felt they were quite sophisticated, especially considering that they dated back some 5,000 years. Another structure at the Barnhouse Settlement.Out trip north to Skara Brae on the Atlantic Coast of Orkney showed houses with a similar structure to the houses at the Barnhouse Settlement. Beds are in the lower right and upper left. A hearth is in the center and a storage area on the upper wall. People lived at the site from approximately 3180 BCE to around 2500 BCE. It is recognized as Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. The furniture is similar in several of the houses.The village looks out on Skaill Bay which opens up to the Atlantic Ocean.Skaill Bay.Paths and tunnels connected the various houses.Cody found his obligatory bird at Skara Brae, displaying a fat, juicy bug and a wild feather look.He also found these two rabbits snuggling up. Were baby rabbits in their future?
Peggy and I have long been fascinated with ancient cultures and found the standing stones and villages of Orkney of considerable interest. In many ways, we were reminded of our trips through the Southwestern United States searching petroglyphs left behind by the Anasazi and other ancient peoples.
This is a good time to remind my readers of Peggy’s word search book on petroglyphs: Artistic Word Searches Unique and Magical Discovering Petroglyphs from the South West. As puzzle solvers work their way through the puzzles, petroglyphs will emerge. This makes an excellent gift for retired seniors (and others) who love word games (and helps keep senior minds sharp—grin). The book can be obtained through Amazon.
The solution to the Kokopelli puzzle is an example of how the images appear as the puzzle is solved.
One thought on “Step Back in Time 4-5,000 years to the Mysterious and Ancient Stone Circles, Villages, and Burial Mounds of Neolithic Orkney Island…”
I wonder if the people who erected the stones thought “People are going to remember what we did here forever” rather than what actually happens: people wondering why they did it. My reeflections on a current politician desperately seeking immortality.
Wandering through Time and Place 
I wonder if the people who erected the stones thought “People are going to remember what we did here forever” rather than what actually happens: people wondering why they did it. My reeflections on a current politician desperately seeking immortality.