Standing Stones of Stenness Monument

Address: Standing Stones of Stenness, Stenness, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland

Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/the-standing-stones-of-stenness/

Hours: Open access (outdoor site) - no set opening hours

Admission: Free

The Standing Stones of Stenness are a Neolithic stone circle on the Mainland of Orkney, Scotland, dating to the late Neolithic period around 3000-2000 BC. The site comprises several large upright slabs and the remains of a prehistoric ceremonial complex.

The most striking elements are the surviving standing slabs and the surrounding earthworks; the stones are large, rough-hewn blocks that form part of a ritual landscape which includes nearby monuments such as the Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe. Walkways and interpretation signage allow visitors to view the stones and the adjacent Loch of Stenness.

Archaeological evidence ties the site to ritual and ceremonial activity in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age. The stone circle and associated banks and ditches show changes and reuse over many centuries, with some stones fallen or removed in post-medieval times.

The stones sit on the low-lying peatlands of central Mainland Orkney beside the Loch of Stenness, within easy walking distance of other major Neolithic sites in the area and reachable from the islands’ main towns by road.

• UNESCO World Heritage: Part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage area and closely associated with the nearby Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe monuments.

The Standing Stones of Stenness are on Mainland, Orkney, close to the Ring of Brodgar. By road they are reached from Kirkwall or Stromness via the A965; turn off onto the minor road toward Stenness where there is a small car park and a very short walk to the stones.

If arriving by public transport on Orkney, use services between Kirkwall and Stromness and then a local taxi for the last few kilometres (check current Orkney bus timetables for connections).

• Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and fewer day-trip crowds from cruise ships and bus tours that arrive mid-day.
• Park at the small visitor parking area and follow the short signed path-the site is compact, so allow time to walk between the stones and the nearby interpretive panels.
• Combine this stop with the nearby Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe; they are within a short drive/walk of one another and give fuller context to the Neolithic landscape.