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Barnhouse Stone is a Bronze Age standing stone located on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The monument survives as a solitary upright stone, typical of ritual and territorial markers erected during the Bronze Age across northern Britain. Such stones often served functions connected to burial practices, territorial boundaries, or ceremonial activity, though the specific purpose of this particular example remains unknown.
The stone stands upon bedrock composed of Middle Old Red Sandstone, formed during the Middle Devonian period. This geological foundation comprises conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, the same local materials that have shaped the landscape of Orkney for over 360 million years. The choice of this exposed location reflects patterns of Bronze Age monument placement across the islands.
Barnhouse Stone is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM90341. The stone remains an important archaeological record of Bronze Age settlement and ritual practice in Orkney, contributing to understanding of how prehistoric communities organised and marked their landscape during this significant period of Scottish prehistory.
Barnhouse Stone, standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90341. View the official record →
Barnhouse Stone is a Bronze Age standing stone located on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90341.
Barnhouse Stone, standing stone dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Barnhouse Stone, standing stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90341.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Little Barnhouse, mound, 160m NE of (1.2 km), Knowe of Onston,or Unstan,chambered cairn (3 km), Diamond Cottage,defended promontory N of (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Barnhouse Stone, standing stone's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Barnhouse Stone, standing stone stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.