HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsStanding Stones of Stenness
United Kingdom
Originally there were twelve stones, some standing up to six metres high. Today only four remain. The function is unclear but our best guess is that they were involved in activities and ceremonies celebrating the relationship between living and past communities.
Contents
9 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Standing Stones of Stenness
Welcome to the windswept and awe inspiring landscapes of the Orkney Islands, situated off the rugged northern coast of Scotland. You are standing at the threshold of one of the most profoundly significant prehistoric sites in the…
Listen in the app2The Great Rock-Cut Ditch
As we approach the outer perimeter of the monument, our attention must first turn to the ground beneath our feet and the dramatic undulations of the earth. You are currently standing near the remains of the great henge, a massive…
Listen in the app3The First Megalith and Razor-Thin Architecture
Now that we have crossed the boundary of the great rock cut ditch, we find ourselves standing in the shadows of the remaining megaliths. Approach the nearest of these towering giants and take a moment to simply gaze upward. …
Listen in the app4The Semicircle and the Journey of the Stones
As we walk along the curving path that connects the surviving upright stones, you will notice that they currently form a rough semicircle. However, this is merely a remnant of the original design. …
Listen in the app5The Central Hearth and the Reconstructed Cist
We have now reached the absolute epicenter of the monument. Here, resting precisely in the middle of the great circle, you will find a low arrangement of flat stones forming a square, box like structure. …
Listen in the app6The Missing Stones and the Farmer's Wrath
As you cast your eyes around the perimeter, the vast empty gaps between the four remaining monoliths become starkly apparent. We established earlier that there were originally twelve majestic stones completing this perfect circle. …
Listen in the app7The Site of the Lost Stone of Odin
We have stepped just slightly outside the main perimeter of the stone circle to stand upon a patch of ground that holds immense cultural and emotional significance. Although there is no towering megalith to greet us here today,…
Listen in the app8The Watch Stone and the Ritual Landscape
As we walk away from the immediate vicinity of the main circle, look toward the narrow strip of land that separates the shimmering waters of the Loch of Stenness from the Loch of Harray. Standing solitary guard near the edge of…
Listen in the app9Closing
As our journey through the Standing Stones of Stenness draws to a close, and we walk back along the grassy path toward the modern world, it is important to pause and synthesize the extraordinary history we have traversed today.…
Listen in the app
What is Standing Stones of Stenness?
Standing Stones of Stenness is a place in United Kingdom with 9 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 9 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 58.9940, -3.2082 |
| Last updated |
