Ring of Brodgar

The Ring of Brodgar is a huge stone circle and Neolithic henge that can be found in Orkney in Scotland, approximately 6 miles north-east of Stromness. It dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. They are world renowned and they are made up of 60 stones and there are 36 that survive today.  The Ring of Brodgar consists of at least 13 prehistoric burial mounds and a large rock cut ditch which goes around the circle. The Scottish geologist Hugh Miller wrote in 1846 wrote that the stones “look like an assemblage of ancient druids, mysteriously stern and invincibly silent and shaggy”. This is regarded as one of the most spectacular prehistoric monuments in the British Isles. The ring was built around 2,500-2,000 BC and covers an area of 8,500 sq metres. The Ring of Brodgar is also a component of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage and other adjoining stones and burial collections include Skara Brae, The Stones of Stenness and Maeshow. It is the largest stone circle in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles behind Avebury and Stantin Drew.