The Ring of Brodgar in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney

On Orkney's Mainland, you'll find the Ring of Brodgar, an almost perfect circle of thirty-six stones. This Neolithic henge and stone circle stands on a narrow isthmus between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray. It is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BCE and 2000 BCE, making it the last of the great Neolithic monuments built on the Ness.

The monument is part of a dense concentration of Neolithic archaeology. Within an area of roughly 5 square kilometres are numerous prehistoric monuments, such as the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Maeshowe chambered tomb, and the Ness of Brodgar. Together, these sites form part of the wider ceremonial landscape known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Located roughly midway between Stenness and Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar's position suggests it was deliberately chosen within a broader ceremonial complex. Its placement between two lochs and among several important Neolithic sites indicates that natural features such as water, visibility, and movement through the landscape played an important role in its siting.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons