Standing Stones of Stenness

About this place

Ancient stone circle on Orkney, among the earliest henge monuments in the British Isles, free to visit.

Raised around 5,000 years ago, the Standing Stones of Stenness are thought to be among the earliest stone circles anywhere in the British Isles, their tall, thin stones giving them a strikingly different silhouette from the more famous Ring of Brodgar nearby. Only a handful of the original stones survive, but their scale, some standing over five metres tall, still conveys the extraordinary effort that went into raising them with only Neolithic tools and technology. Its position within Orkney's wider prehistoric landscape means it's easily combined with a visit to Brodgar and Maeshowe on the same trip. It's free to visit, with parking nearby, and the grassy site makes it less suitable for buggies.

Make a day of it — within 5km