Stones of Stenness

The oldest stone circle in Britain, from around 3100 BCE

A smaller and older site than the Ring of Brodgar a kilometre away, the Stones of Stenness consists of four enormous slabs of sandstone — up to six metres tall — that were once part of a twelve-stone circle. The circle was raised around 3100 BCE, making it the earliest known henge monument in Britain.

The site is free, unenclosed, and immediately beside the road. The Watch Stone, an enormous outlier, stands a short walk away across the bridge over the Brig o' Brodgar. The whole area between Stenness and Brodgar was the ceremonial heart of Neolithic Orkney and still feels it.

things to do sight
A story
The Stones of Stenness predate the Ring of Brodgar by perhaps 500 years and are among the oldest standing stones in Britain. The four remaining megaliths originally formed part of a circle of twelve, surrounding a central hearth that may have been the focus of feasting rituals.