I first posted about the Stones of Stenness in 2017.

Here’s a few more photos from this year.

One of the larger stones, with two humans for size comparison. Loch Harray in background:-

Loch Harray in background:

Central stones. Maeshowe is a green bump in the background:-

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:-

Maeshowe is another neolithic site in Orkney I’d always wished to visit. It’s a 5,000 years old chambered cairn, with three burial chambers, two of which dog-leg to the right, one to the left. The bodies were exposed to the elements to be stripped down to the bones before being placed in the chamber.

Unlike other sites on Orkney you can only visit Maeshowe on a guided tour. The car park by the access path has been closed and access is only via a bus from the Visitor Centre in nearby Stenness village. The guide said the road was too dangerous to allow cars to turn in and out and pedestrians to cross unsupervised. Apparently someone had been clocked going at 152 miles per hour along the road!

Unfortunately internal photographs are not allowed. The guide said that was for reasons of time.

You have to bend down and stoop for metres to get into the chamber proper through the access tunnel. You’ll find a photo of the tunnel here.

In deepest winter around the winter solstice a shaft of sunlight lights up the passage and enters the large central chamber. There is a webcam site which shows live pictures from November to February. They seem to have had some trouble with it last year though.

In 1153 some Vikings broke in to Maeshowe to get shelter during a snowstorm which lasted for days and spent their time carving runes. These can be dated fairly precisely as this type of runes was only in use for a short time. Some of the runes can be seen on the Orkneyjar web page.

Also inscribed was a fenrir which some people call the Maeshowe dragon.

Maeshowe from access path:-

Maeshowe showing ring rampart:-

From access path, showing entrance:-

Entrance:-

Maeshowe from south:-

From north:-

Stones of Stenness (to left) and Ness and Ring of Brodgar (to right) from Maeshowe. Loch of Harray in middle ground, Loch of Stenness above and to left :-

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:-

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:-