The northernmost of Britain's great stone circles — 60 standing stones encircled by a rock-cut ditch on the windswept isthmus between two Orkney lochs.
The Ring of Brodgar stands on a narrow isthmus between the Lochs of Harray and Stenness in the heart of Orkney, one of the most dramatically sited prehistoric monuments in Britain. Originally about 60 stones arranged in a circle 104 metres in diameter, with 27 still standing today, the Ring is the third largest stone circle in Britain. Surrounding it is a rock-cut ditch up to 3 metres deep, quarried from the underlying bedrock — an immense undertaking on an exposed, windswept island.
The Ring of Brodgar forms part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes Skara Brae, the Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe — a concentration of Neolithic monuments without parallel in northern Europe. The Ring's precise dating remains uncertain, but it was likely constructed between 2500 and 2000 BC, contemporary with the later phases of Stonehenge. Nearby excavations at the Ness of Brodgar — between the Ring and the Stones of Stenness — have since 2003 revealed a massive complex of decorated Neolithic buildings that appears to be a ceremonial centre of extraordinary scale and sophistication, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of Neolithic Orkney.
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ring of Brodgar is the focal monument of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a concentration of prehistoric sites representing the apex of Neolithic civilisation in northern Europe.
The rock-cut ditch quarried and the stone circle erected. The stones were worked to create even, upright profiles. The original entrance positions are uncertain.
Used in conjunction with the nearby Stones of Stenness and the Ness of Brodgar complex. Part of a larger ceremonial landscape attracting people from across Britain.
The ditch gradually silted. Norse runic inscriptions carved on several stones in the medieval period, indicating continued significance.
Norse runic inscriptions on several stones — the largest collection of runic inscriptions in Scotland
The Ness of Brodgar excavations (2003–present) revealing a massive complex of decorated Neolithic buildings between Brodgar and Stenness
Grooved Ware pottery and other artefacts from the Ness of Brodgar indicating feasting on a colossal scale
Ground-penetrating radar surveys identifying buried features in the interior of the Ring
Painted and decorated stonework at the Ness of Brodgar — the first known painted Neolithic buildings in Scotland
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