Category: Stones of Stenness

The Standing Stones of Stenness, looking north-west towards the Ness of Brodgar. (Sigurd Towrie)

Around the Ness / Ring of Brodgar / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Monday, April 19, 2021

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

Around the Ness / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Monday, November 9, 2020

The Stones of Stenness – part two

“Each of the remaining pillars is about 18 feet above ground: one was lately thrown down, but has not been broken; three were, in the month of December 1814, torn… Read more

Around the Ness / Stones of Stenness

Monday, November 2, 2020

The Stones of Stenness

At Stennis, where the Loch is narrowest, in the midle, having a Causey of stons over it for a bridge, there is, at the South end of the bridge, a… Read more

Chambered Cairns / Excavation / Ring of Brodgar / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Photographic mastery – Jim Richardson views from around the Ness

In 2012, Jim Richardson visited the Ness to capture images for a planned National Geographic feature article. The resultant images were truly awe-inspiring and today, thanks to Jim’s generosity, we’re… Read more

Around the Ness / Ring of Brodgar / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

A natural cursus? Water, walls and walking the Ness of Brodgar

“Seven thousand years ago, Mesolithic hunter gatherers walked the long ridge of land in the heart of Orkney, known today as the Ness of Brodgar. Later, Neolithic farmers chose that… Read more

The Watchstone and the Brig o' Brodgar (Jim Richardson)

Around the Ness / Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Monday, May 25, 2020

The Watchstone

“When on the way to the Bridge of Brogar, attention is at once arrested by a singly giant monolith … standing erect, like a giant sentinel, called the Watch Stone”… Read more

The Standing Stones of Stenness from the Brodgar road. Given the presence of the reconstructed "dolmen" the photograph is later than 1906.

Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Pictures from the Past – The Stones of Stenness

Following our appeal for old photographs of the Ness and its environs, Pat Long sent us these early postcards showing the Stones of Stenness. Thanks Pat. If you’ve been digging… Read more

Standing Stones / Stones of Stenness

Friday, May 8, 2020

Solved! The perplexing puzzle of the Stones of Stenness ‘building’

There’s nothing like finally getting to the bottom of an irksome puzzle. In this case, the puzzle related to an old photograph of the Stones of Stenness (above). The mystery,… Read more