I have previously posted about the Stones of Stenness here, Barnhouse Village here and here and the Odin Stone and Watchstone here.

I can’t remember the information boards from when we were there in 2017 but I took the opportunity to photograph them last June:-

Odin Stone Information Board:-

Barnhouse Village Information Boards:-

This is what the information board named as structure 8. Looking back towards Stones of Stenness with Hoy in distance to right:-

A neolithic house overlooking Loch of Harray:-

House 6 has very little left bar a few stones:-

Whether this is a standing stone or a remnant of a house I can’t say. Its surroundings don’t seem to have been excavated. Bottom of Loch of Harray behind with Maeshowe in distance above top of stone:-

View of Barnhouse Village looking south-west, Stones of Stenness in background with Hoy in right distance:-

Stitch of village from south-west. Loch of Harray and Ness of Brodgar behind:-

Barnhouse Village is a neolithic settlement lying about one hundred and fifty metres or so from the Stones of Stenness in Orkney.

Structure in village, Loch of Harray behind:-

House with hearth, Ness of Brodgar behind over Loch of Harray:-

This is the entrance to what the information board called Structure 8:-

Barnhouse village House:-

Another house, Loch of Harray behind:-

The board called this one House 2:-

Click on below to take you to video on my Flickr, first looking towards Loch of Harray and Ness of Brodgar then sweeping round to look back towards Stones of Stenness:-

The piece of land on which the Stones of Stenness lie contains other neolithic remnants.

One is the Watchstone (which used to have a companion Odin Stone which was destroyed in 1814 by the leaseholder of the land.)

The Watchstone from path round Stones of Stenness, Ness of Brodgar behind:-

The Watchstone and Ness of Brodgar, Loch of Stenness to left, Loch of Harray to right:-

The Watchstone, looking over the Loch of Stenness, Hoy in distance:-

Two hundred yards or so north east of the Stones of Stenness are the remains of a neolithic settlement called Barnhouse Village – of which more later. This photo taken from the edge of the village over the bottom of the Loch of Harray shows how close Maeshowe is (green mound just to right of centre of picture.)

Looking northwest over the Loch of Harray from Barnhouse Village you can also easily see the Ring of Brodgar:-

Closer view of Ring of Brodgar from Barnhouse Village:-

A view of part of Orkney for your delectation.

The Stones of Stenness are the remains of a ring of neolithic standing stones – possibly the oldest henge in the British Isles. They stand on a piece of land flanked on one side by the freshwater Loch of Harray and the sea water Loch of Stenness.

The taller ones are very tall indeed. I assume the ones no longer there were also as tall. Signs of modern life are visible though. You can just spot electricity poles if you look closely enough above.

Here’s a view from the other side of the stones back in the opposite direction. Note parked cars and people. Shortly after this a bus tour rolled up:-

What looks like a single stone to the left on the above is actually two stones:-

If you look through the gap in the stones in the other direction then Maeshowe is directly between them in the distance. See sixth photo here.

On the same piece of land as the stones lie the remains of the neolithic Barnhouse village. The Ring of Brodgar is also visible from the site.

At the centre of the Stones of Stenness are the remnants of a hearth:-

Stones of Stenness from site entrance. Unfortunately an electricity pole seems to sprout from the top of a stone in this one:-