After seeing The Stones of Stenness, Maes Howe, and Skara Brae, I didn’t think it could get better. But it did. We got to go to an active archaeological dig!
Ness of Brodgar covers 6.2 acres. Excavation on this Neolithic site began in 2004 and ended this summer. We were lucky enough to be there on the last open house before they closed the site. Isn’t that cool? Some of the structures were started around 3300 BC, but the there is evidence of activity way before that.
We made a brief stop at the Kirbuster farm museum. The Fire Hoose is from 1595. Note the stone roof.
Robert Stewart, half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, became Earl of Orkney in the late 1500s. This is what’s left of his palace in Birsay.
But the real highlight of the day was the Ring of Brodgar
They don’t know much about Brogar, but they think it was built between 2600 and 2400 BC. It is older and bigger than Stonehenge. It may have been used to observe the moon.
36 of the original 60 stones have survived. The tallest is 4.7 meters tall.
The circle is 104 meters in diameter and is encircled by a 135-meter henge.
BTW, while I was there, an article came out about the alter stone at Stonehenge. Seems it wasn’t quarried from Wales as originally thought. It came from North Western Scotland Orkney area.
Wrapped up our last night on Orkney Island with dinner from the sea. Wondering what those things around the scallops are? They are the reproductive organs. Did you know that scallops are hermaphrodites?
