Not sure what the name of this historical place is. Seems Yelp doesn't know either because there…read moreare 2 Yelp pages for this UNESCO World Heritage site. Stenness Stone Circle or Standing Stones of Stenness? Which name is correct? Maybe both of them. The Ring of Brodgar is another of the Neolithic Stone Circles located in the Orkney Islands. Anyways, we visited both the Stenness Stone Circle (Standing Stones of Stenness) and the Ring of Brodgar. Both historic sites were part of a tour we took of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, and both sites were historically impressive. I was surprised to find out that the Stones of Stenness are actually older than the famous Stonehenge. Using radiocarbon analysis, the Stones of Stenness were dated to around 3100 to 2900 BC. That would make them about 5400 years old!!! Originally there were 12 large stones, but now there are only 4 stones left measuring up to 6 meters high. It is believed that back in the day, the Stones of Stenness was a ceremonial site that celebrated the relationship between past and living communities. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in a beautiful setting in the Orkney Islands. It is surrounded by a lush green setting close to the water. So pretty! From the Stenness Stone Circle (Standing Stones of Stenness) site, it is a short walk to the Barnhouse Settlement which is a the ruins of a Stone Age village. Very cool to see this UNESCO World Heritage site as well. Do Not Miss visiting this AWESOME Iconic Historical sight!! To see it in person is a One of a Kind experience!!

Historians consider the Stones o' Stenness the earliest henge monument in the British Isles,…read moreprobably erected five-and-a-half thousand years ago. Today, four of the original megaliths remain staunchly upright, part of the ellipse of 12 stones of which they were originally a part. The Standing Stones, along with Skara Brae, the Barnhouse Settlement, the Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe, comprise the Heart of Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. The size of the Standing Stones completely dwarfs a human, provoking the inevitable questions of how, not to mention exactly why, these Neolithic henges were built. Standing over the centerpiece of the ellipse, the stone hearth, one also contemplates the henge's place in stone age society all those thousands of years ago. While many of the original megaliths, as well as the encircling ditch and bank typical of stone henges, show little evidence of themselves today, it's not hard for a visitor to feel transported through time.

The Ring of Brodgar is another site that I had never heard of before embarking on our cruise of the…read moreBritish Isles. So, it made for another fascinating discovery to learn a little about and take some pics. It is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is estimated that the Ring of Brodgar was built around 2500BC to 2000BC. That would make it older than the famous Stonehenge!!! It is believed that this stone circle (which is surrounded by a ditch) originally had 60 stones of varying sizes. Only 27 of the stones are still standing today. It is a site of ritual and ceremony, and is surrounded by beautiful landscape. Very popular attraction especially during Sunset. Cool to see in person!! Historic and beautiful! Definitely visit when you are in this part of Scotland.

The Ring of Brodgar is another of the Neolithic monument on Orkney. It is the 3rd largest stone…read morecircle in the British Isles and was built in a true circle. There are two entrances to the circle but visitors cannot get close to the stones in order to keep visitors from touching the stones. The stones seem smaller than what you see at Stonehenge. The stones themselves are interesting in how they are cut and look like there are several layers to the stones. The circle is in between two lochs. The interior portion of the ring hasn't been fully excavated so the age of the ring is not known but it is thought to be around 2,500-2,000 BC. It is interesting to walk around and think of how and why the stones were placed there.

Skara Brae is a fantastic look into the past. To stand there and look into the living conditions…read moreof pre iron age people in the Neolithic period is just incredible. The story of the discovery of this place due to a storm that uncovered it, the items left behind as if they just got up and walked away, the cleverness of the planning of the construction with no modern tools. This place is truly amazing and most definitely worth the visit. You're actually standing in a stone age village and can walk through looking down into the ancient dwellings.

Before starting our cruise of the United Kingdom, I must admit that I had never heard of Skara…read moreBrae. I'm sure that I was not the only one either. What is the Skara Brae? It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a stone built Neolithic Village. What does Neolithic mean? Another name for Neolithic is the New Stone Age. So the Skara Brae was built a long long long long time ago. This village is over 5000 years old!! That is older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids in Egypt!! It is the oldest known village in all of Europe where you can still see the houses with their original stone furniture folks. It is truly incredible how well preserved this village is. Start at the visitor center to purchase your tickets. It would better to buy your tickets online for a lower price and to guarantee you get in. Before you see the original village, stop by the replica Neolithic house to see how it may have looked back in the day. After that, follow the path to view the 9 Neolithic houses. Make sure you follow the rules and remain on the path!! Do not be "that guy" who has to touch everything and have a selfie with the ancient artifacts!! We had an amazing time learning about Skara Brae, and imagining how our ancestors may have lived over 5000 years ago. It is situated in a stunning setting in Scotland overlooking the beach and ocean!! Back at the visitor center grab a bit at their cafe if you are hungry, and make sure you check the gift shop for souvenirs on your way out.

Hoy is the second largest of the Orkney Islands, but has a tiny population of around 270, mostly…read moreconcentrated in the east of the island. The west side is much quieter (and Hoy is pretty quiet already) and consists effectively of just two settlements, the hamlet of Rackwick and Quoyness village. The Old Man of Hoy is the island's most famous attraction. It's a spectacular sea-stack, over 137m (450ft) high. As well as its height, the vivid red sandstone makes it an astonishing sight. The sandstone actually sits on a bed of hard (and very ancient) basalt rock. The stack itself may only be about 400 years old in its present form, as pictures and descriptions from earlier times refer only to a headland here, and it is thought that the stack was created by a series of storms in the 17th century. Erosion continues, so it is only a matter of time before the whole stack collapses. It's a challenging climb (for very experienced climbers only), and was only first ascended in 1966. Around 50 people a year attempt the climb these days, with several routes to choose from. Dangers include loose rocks, its sheer verticality and, of course, the incredibly changeable weather. (And once you get to the top, there's no alternative but to climb back down again, unless you've booked a helicopter). Amazingly, people have spent the night on the small grassy patch on the top. Not for the faint hearted! The easiest way to get a view is from the Thurso-Stromness ferry, although the stack is not terribly distinct as the background of the cliffs reduces the impact. The best way is to make a day trip from Stromness on the passenger ferry to Hoy (Quoyness), and then either hire a bike or take a taxi across to Rackwick. From there it is a 45 minute walk on a good, though steep, path to the cliffs at Hoy. (The care ferry goes to the other end of the island and is rather infrequent). The cliffs themselves are amazing enough, being some of the highest in the British Isles, but the stack is just astonishing. As well as the geology, the plant and animal life here is plentiful. It's a particular haven for rock-nesting birds, and insects. In my book, it is one of those places everyone should visit at least once in their life.

An awesome place to visit as all of Orkney, before going abroad see what the British Isles have to…read moreoffer. One the great sites in UK

The Dwarfie Stane lies a short walk from the road between Quoyness and Rackwick. It's a 5,000-year…read moreold neolithic tomb, hollowed out of a huge single piece of rock. It is assumed that the stone by the entrance once blocked the doorway, and it is known that the tomb was still sealed in the 16th century. The tomb itself comprises a single chamber, with two bed-like ledges, clearly built for people of smaller stature. It must have been a huge undertaking to make the tomb using only primitive bone and stone tools. The interior contains more 'modern' graffiti, including some carved in 1850 by the former British spy, Major W. Mounsey. The rock itself was probably deposited in the site by glacial action. Unsurprisingly, the Dwarfie Stane - Dwarf Stone in modern English - is associated with lots of legends, with dwarves and giants featuring strongly. The isolated location and incredibly bleak but beautiful landscape around only adds to the sense of mystery.

Finally, after 40yrs I made it to the Dwarfie Stane this year! Passed it so many times and was…read morealways put off by the walk up, but now that there is a decent, wooden track been constructed, it keeps you nice and dry and away from the boggy ground - for most of the way there. Well worth the walk....and boy do you feel isolated when you get up there - fabulous and very mysterious....

Fun tour of a chambered cairn with lots of historical context including Viking runes (basically…read moregraffiti) carved into the inside of the stone structure. You need reservations and it's a mixed bag for kids. So, the hype around this is pretty high, but mostly deserved--especially for adults who are interested in history. You need a reservation because you can only go inside the cairn with a guide and it starts by taking a 2-minute bus ride from the visitors center. The tour is worth it though because you hear fantastic context about the history of the area, the history of the cairn and they point out the various places where there are Viking runes carved into the inside as well as showing you the Maeshowe dragon carving, which is pretty cool. For my wife and I, that was amazing. For my 5-year-old and 9-year-old kids it was a bit less awesome. We did get to go inside essentially a stone fort in a hill, but then they had to listen to a ~30-minute lecture. All while not touching anything because it's roped off to preserve it. The guide really did a pretty good job trying to pull them into the conversation, but there's only so much that matters. The kids were good and I think had a good time, but it wasn't their favorite. There's a bunch of other chambered cairns nearby that you can go in without a reservation and where the kids can climb around inside. We visited the Cuween Hill chambered cairn the next day and the kids loved being able to go around without as many lectures or rules.

Maeshowe looks like little more than a grassy mound from the nearby main road. But it is the finest…read morechambered tomb in northern Europe - bar none. Over 5,000 years old, it predates the oldest of the Pyramids in Egypt. The tomb itself is accessed via a long, low and narrow tunnel, 14m long and just 1.4m high. This enters the large central chamber, with is 4.5m square and about 4m high, the walls of which taper gently to the roof, with butresses at each corner. Three further chambers open off this main chamber, each with a right-angled dog-leg. The interior architecture of the tomb is stunning. The walls were built of massive blocks of sandstone, beautifully prepared and laid with great care to form an sublime space. The tapering and accuracy of the fit of the stones cannot fail to impress. It also represents a phenomenal feat of engineering, as the individual blocks weigh up to three tonnes. It would be a challenge now, let alone 5000 years ago. The acoustics are also unique - giving an other-worldly sound, with patches of loud and quiet noise, suggesting this may have formed part of rituals performed within. Another famous feature is a series of 30 different Viking runes dating from the 12th century. Left by Vikings who took shelter from a storm here returning from the crusades, it is one of the largest collection in existence, and is accompanied by drawings of dragon, a walrus and a serpent. These are explained in detail at: http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/maeshrunes.htm This incursion (or incursions) is also reported in the Orkneyinga Saga. It is amazing to think that the 12th century Vikings are more contemporaneous with us than with the original builders. There is some speculation that the tomb may have been reused as a burial chamber in the Viking period. The entrance passage is aligned with the winter solstice, so that the sun shines directly into the chamber on the shortest day. This, together with the sparsity of artefacts found when the tomb was first excavated in 1861, suggest it may have had a ritual use beyond being a burial site. For many years, the passage was blocked, and an entrance had been broken through the roof. The roof, and the mound above, has now been restored. The site is open daily, but visitor numbers are restricted due to the confined space, so tickets must be reserved in advance, either by telephone or the web-site, and are valid for a specific timed period. You report to the visitor information centre at Tormiston Mill, where there is an display giving information about the tomb. The narrow passage entrance is not too hard to scramble along, but may not suit those of a claustrophobic nature.

This is cool place to explore Neolithic ruins and lots of little chambers to explore and look…read morearound. It was less cool than Jarlshof in Shetland, but still pretty neat--especially if you're just hanging out in Orkney. Even in the wind and driving rain near the water, it was still fun to climb around and explore the ruins. There are lots of little chambers you can climb into and play games around. The kids really enjoyed it. Smaller and less interesting than Jarlshof in Shetland, but still a nice stop.

This is a ruined Iron-Age broch and associated prehistoric village from around the first or second…read morecentury BC, with an absolutely spectacular setting, at the end of a promontory overlooking Eynhallows Sound and the island of Rousay. Brochs are unique to Scotland, and their exact function is still not precisely known. Essentially, a broch is a tower, originally about 10m high, with a double wall with passages in it, and a central area presumed to have been open to the air. The towers taper slightly to the towards the top, giving them a shape akin to power station cooling towers. There was usually a single, low entrance to the tower from the outside, and no windows to the outside, but small openings to the interior. Some of them are isolated, and others form part of iron-age villages, but are nearly always by the sea. The most commonly accepted theory is that they were defensive structures, which could be easily sealed off from attackers: livestock would shelter in the central area, and the inhabitants in the spaces within the walls. As well as protection, their height may have provided a look-out function as well. Locations close to the sea were always vulnerable to pirates and other sea-faring enemies, so the locals would need somewhere to escape to quickly. In the case of Gurness, the broch was part of a village complex, which also had an outer wall, and three ramparts for additional defence. The broch itself was probably about 8m (26ft) high, and 20m (65ft) in diameter, which is rather wider than the classic broch shape. The village may have had about 40 families at its peak, but had declined and appears to have been abandoned around 100AD. The stones were then taken from the broch for other buildings - a trend that appears to have been kept up throughout history, so that the broch is now only 3.5m high. The site was then occupied by successive waves of immigrants, from the Scottish Picts in the 5th century, to the Vikings, who appear to have used the site for a burial. Thereafter, the site seems to have been left alone until the excavations in 1929 revealed the true extent of the site. Facilities at the site are fairly basic: there is a car-park, and a small ticket-office and shop, with an interpretation display. Some of the site is accessible by wheelchair via the grassy slopes, but assistance is recommended, and it is not suitable in wet weather. The site is 180m from the car park and, for those intrepid enough to get there by bus (route 96), it's a 45 minute walk from the village of Evie. There are also tours of this and other archeological sites organised from Kirkwall - enquire at Tourist Information. If you are driving, it is easy to make a day-long circuit of Orkney Mainland which takes in Maeshowe, Skara Brae, the circles at Stenness and Brodgar, and Gurness.

Magical. Mystical. Mysterious. Special place to be. Try to read up a bit before arriving if you…read morecan. Don't rush. Enjoy the moments with the stones.

Being able to walk right up to history is magical! These are the oldest standing stones in Europeread more