The Ring of Brodgar, on Orkney, is about 340 feet in diameter. It was originally composed of some 60 evenly-spaced stones, but now 36 stones or stumps of stones remain.
An impressive ditch, up to ten feet deep,was cut into the bedrock just outside the stones; the ditch is broken by two causeways, at the north-west and the south-east.
One of the stones has been graffittied with Norse runes (much like the tomb of Maeshowe).
Brodgar lies in an area incredibly rich in archaeology between the Stones of Stenness to the south and the Ring of Bookan to the north.
1/35 At dawn, autumn 2011.
2/35 Autumn 2011.
3/35 Autumn 2011.
4/35 Autumn 2011.
5/35 Autumn 2011.
6/35 Autumn 2011.
7/35 Autumn 2011.
8/35 Autumn 2011.
9/35 Graffitti on one of the stones in the Ring of Brodgar, Mainland, Orkney
10/35 Looking west from the centre of the Ring of Brodgar, Mainland, Orkney. The convenient yardstick (me) is 5'9"!
11/35 Panorama of the Ring of Brodgar, Mainland, Orkney
12/35 Stones on the south-western arc
13/35 Viking runes above a cross, carved into one of the stones.
14/35 Lichen
15/35 Close view of the anvil carved into one of the stones.
16/35 The anvil carving can be just seen about <sup>1</sup>/<sub>5</sub>th the way down from the top of the stone, just left of centre.
17/35 Detail of the sedimentary patterns on a stone on the southern arc.
18/35 The southern arc from a fallen stone.
19/35 The southern arc from the west.
20/35 One of the western stones.
21/35 The western arc.
22/35 Reflections in one of the fallen stones on the north.
23/35 The northern arc.
24/35 Detail of coarse sediment.
25/35 Detail of sedimentary patterns.
26/35 Detail of sedimentary patterns.
27/35 Detail of sedimentary patterns
28/35 A fallen stone and stump.
29/35 One of several cairns around the stone circle. This one is to the northwest.
30/35 Looking southwest.
31/35 Looking south as a storm gathers.
32/35 Looking northeast as a storm clears.
33/35 Stones on the northeastern arc.
34/35 A stone on the western arc.
35/35 Looking across the circle from a northern stone.
Nearby Sites
1km Barnhouse Neolithic Settlement Neolithic Settlement
1km Ring of Bookan Chambered Cairn; Henge
1km Stones of Stenness Stone Circle
1km Watch Stone Standing Stone
2km Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
2km Unstan Chambered Cairn Chambered Cairn
6km Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
8km Skara Brae Neolithic Village Neolithic Settlement
9km Orphir Round Church Church
10km Rennibister Earth House Souterrain
11km Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn
15km St Magnus Cathedral Cathedral
16km Gurness Broch
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)