Orkney

Walking down the very gentle slopes from Stennes towards the Stones of Stennes and the Ness of Brodgar, gives the sense of approaching the center of something important.

Orkney Islands or just Orkney consist of about 70 islands of which the larger 20 are inhabited. The islands are just 16 km North of Caithness county at the Northern tip of the island of Great Britain and have been occupied since the Mesolithic.

The center of the Western part of the largest island, Orkney Mainland has been a ritual Neolithic landscape over many generations. This includes the Stones of Stennes, the ring of Brodgar, the chambered Megalithic tomb Maeshove and the Ness of Brodgar. Together with the settlement of Skara Brae these monuments received World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1999 and are named the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.

What makes the location so special is the unique setting in the natural landscape: The monuments are set against a stunning natural backdrop of rolling hills and surrounded by water. The distance is encircled by hills and the mountains, including the taller ones on the isle of Hoy in the South West.

The land tapers from the northwest to the southeast like a wedge, descending into the water and separating the Loch of Stenness from the Loch of Harray, culminating in a pointed focus at the Ness of Brodgar. From the southeast, a similar focusing effect is achieved through the gentle slopes of the ground descending from Stenness and the hills in the southwest.

Walking down the very gentle slopes from Stennes towards the Stones of Stennes and the Ness of Brodgar, gives the sense of approaching the center of something important.