Circles of Stone field guide
Stones of Stenness
Orkney, Scotland
Before you go
A small car park lies beside the site and access is short and fairly level. Conditions can be wet, windy and muddy, with no shelter at the stones.
Postcode caution: KW16 3JY is a useful navigation reference, not a guarantee of legal or available parking.
- Grid reference
- HY 307 125
- Useful postcode
- KW16 3JY
- Monument coordinates
- 58.99300, -3.20860
Pack and plan
- Charged phone and a paper map or saved offline map
- Water, layers and footwear suited to the terrain
- Current weather, daylight and access information checked
- Someone told where you are going on remote walks
What you are looking for
Four immense uprights survive from one of the earliest henge monuments in Britain and Ireland.
The hearth, ditch and surviving stone sockets demonstrate a carefully organised monument repeatedly used within a landscape that also includes Barnhouse, Maeshowe and Brodgar.
Field notes
Weather and light: ______________________________________________
First feature spotted: ___________________________________________
Something the map did not show: _________________________________
Walk gently
- Check current access and weather before setting out.
- Keep dogs under close control around livestock.
- Do not climb, move stones, light fires or leave offerings.
- Take all litter home and protect fragile ground.
If something goes wrong
In an emergency call 999 or 112. Give the grid reference or coordinates above, describe your approach route, and do not put yourself at further risk.