Ring of Brodgar

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The Ring of Brodgar (or Brogar) is a neolithic henge and stone circle in Orkney, Scotland. The ring of stones stands on a small isthmus between the Lochs of Stenness and Harray. The centre of the circle has never been excavated by archaeologists and scientifically dated, but it is thought that the stone circle was constructed around 2500 BC, and therefore broadly contemporary with Stonehenge and many other ancient sites in the British Isles and Europe.

The circle is 104 metres in diameter, and one of the largest to be found in the United Kingdom. The henge was comprised of 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing at the end of the 20th century. The stones are set within a circular ditch up to 3 metres deep and 9 metres wide that was carved out of the solid bedrock by the ancient residents.

The surrounding area is full of other standing stones and round piles of earth atop prehistoric tombs, making a significant ritual landscape. Although its exact purpose is not known, the proximity of the Standing Stones of Stenness and its Maeshowe tomb make the Ring of Brodgar a site of major importance.