i first heard about the ring of brodgar and the stones of stenness in my favourite book series, the mary russell holmes books. (by the way, if you like sherlock holmes + gutsy heroines, you will love this series). i’m a huge history fan (duh – my masters is in ancient greek architecture + city planning) but something else in me stirred when it read about these prehistoric sites. again… i believe i must have been orcadian in a previous life.
the ring and the stones are set in orkney, just about half a mile apart off the main road that connects kirkwall to stromness, in the tiny town of stenness. the ring is 26 or 27 standing stones surrounded by burial mounds. nearby, they are excavating the ness of brodgar site, which is — according to my source at the local ice cream place — covered until the team shows up for just six weeks in the summer. i missed them by a few weeks.
down the road, a short bicycle away, is the site of the standing stones of stenness. there are just 4 stones standing now, but the tallest are taller than any at brodgar. it was awe-inspiring to finally visit these two sites, and i hope that i will have the chance to go back.
enjoy the pictures.
