Dating from between 3,000 B.C. and 2,000 B.C., the Ring o’Brodgar is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles and is one of Orkney’s iconic landmarks. The Ring o’Brodgar is a Neolithic ceremonial stone circle which measures 104 metres in diameter and is comprised of 27 standing stones which vary in height from 2.1 metres to 4.7 metres. The original circle is thought to have contained an estimated 60 megaliths and forms part of an enormous prehistoric ritual complex that incorporated the Standing Stones o’Stenness, the Ring o’Bookan and the Comet Stone. This group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape and forms part of the U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site which is known as the ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’. The site has been recognised for its importance as a significant stage in the development of the human history and bears testimony to the cultural achievements of the Neolithic peoples of northern Europe. Located on Mainland Orkney, the Ring o’Brodgar can be found on the Ness o’Brodgar, an isthmus that separates the Loch of Harray and the Loch of Stenness which lie due west of Kirkwall.
It is worth noting that the U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site which is known as the ‘Heart of Neolithic Orkney’ includes the Ring o’Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness, the large chambered tomb of Maes Howe, and the settlement of Skara Brae. Several lesser known sites are also included such as the Watch Stone, the Barnhouse Stone and the Barnhouse Settlement.
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