Scotland is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places in the world. There is something incredibly wonderful and comfy about the entire country. To me, it feels like home. I will have to talk about so many of the lovely spots that I had the chance to visit while doing research for my masters thesis, but today, I will talk about just one amazing place. The Ring of Brodgar in the Orkney Islands.
Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands are actually a collection of about 70 small islands located approximately 10 miles north of the mainland of Scotland. There is a long, deep history here that dates back 8,500 years to the Mesolithic Period that is visible everywhere. I traveled here to see the Pictish stones but found so much more history than I imagined.
The Heart of Neolithic Orkney is a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Mainland Island of Orkney. This World Heritage site is made up of four archaeological sites that date to the Neolithic Period; Maeshowe, the Standing Stones of Stenness, Skara Brae, and the Ring of Brodgar.
The Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic stone circle and henge. Henges usually consist of a ring bank around a ditch, though with this site, there is just a ditch. It’s age is not exactly known, though it is thought to have been built sometime between 2500 and 2000 BC. This circle was once flanked by 60 stones. Today, only 27 are still standing. The stones were likely erected for some ceremonial purpose, though details have been lost with time. The proximity of the this stone circle to the other ancient sites on Orkney make the area an historically significant location.
With the open and mostly treeless green landscape against the heaths of heather flowers and the blue of the lochs, the stones are quite striking. We were visiting in May, and the heather flowers weren’t quite out, but it didn’t keep my mind from imagining!
Where is it Located?
The Ring of Brodgar is located on the Mainland Orkney Island in Scotland. It is on a small isthmus of land between the Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray.