About - Scotland

Northern Scotland, The Orkney Islands, and the Outer Hebrides

This photo gallery documents northern Scotland and the outer islands to the north and to the east.  For more than 20 years I have been traveling in Great Britain and Europe to photograph the Neolithic standing stones and stone circles. There are some noteable sites I had missed in these remote locales that I just had to capture to round out my collection.

My starting point was Inverness, Scotland, a lovely, ancient city centered on the River Ness, which flows southwest to Loch Ness of sea monster fame.  (More on Nessy later.)  Inverness Castle stands on the bluff overlooking the river.  Its foundations predate history and it is thought that “Macbeth” is set at this castle.  It was early May, so the trees and flowers were ablaze.  The weather was typical cold and rainy with brilliant sun peeking through now and then to warm me up.

The drive north through the highlands brought me through mountainsides of gorse (wild flowers) and seaside villages along the northwestern coast. I caught the ferry in Thurso to the Orkney Islands - about a 4-hour ride.  The ferries are clean, comfortable and efficient as one expects from the Scots. The seas were a bit unsettled so the ride was rough at times.

The Orkney Islands are an amazing archipelago of fishing and agriculture.  The whole chain has been named a World Heritage Site because of the renowned Neolithic sites spread across the islands.  Because there were never any trees on these lands, the Neolithic people built from stone, so ceremonial sites, homesteads, and whole village have been discovered intact (minus their wood, sod and/or whale bone roofs).  At Skara Brea, a Neolithic village, there might as well have been kids playing and moms cooking, the site is so intact.

My destination was two-fold:  The Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness on Orkney Mainland.  These two megalithic sites are the remains of two massive stone circles, henges and ditches and are within several hundred meters of each other.  For those into the Stones, these two sites are legendary.  Whether you appreciate them for their archeological significance, or whether you feel the “vibe”, it is undeniable that these two rings are astounding.

Nearby is Maes Howe, another site though to be ceremonial.  The sun rising at winter solstice shines down the low, narrow entrance shaft and lights the inner wall at the far side of the chamber.  It is thought that this beam of light at mid-winter would provide a path for the souls of the departed to travel to the land of the dead.

So verdant are these beautiful islands that the stones of the prehistoric sites, the stones of the homes and the stones in the cemeteries, stand out to create stunning images.

The Isle of Lewis is made of peat bog and sheep.  Do not step from the road or path or you risk being sucked into the muck and mire.  Here I found the Callanish Stones.  Originally thought to be one site consisting of a circle and various avenues leading to it, upon further digs, both archeological and industrial (they dig for peat for the garden here), as many at 10 additional sites have been found relating to the main one.

I chose to spend my limited time with the two most prominent circles, Callanish I and Callanish III about 1/2 mile away to the south.

Then it was on to Skye and what a wonder is the Isle of Skye.  If someone has limited time in Scotland, I would highly recommend they spend the time in northern Skye and the Quiraing.  The jagged mountains, the verdance, the clouds speeding over the landscape, words cannot describe and photographs can only indicate.

With my time drawing short, I exited Skye via the new bridge to mainland Scotland and ran in to Eilean Donan Castle.  Had to stop for a photo op!  Further along I passed in the shadow of the Seven Sisters Mountains and along the edge of Loch Ness.  No sightings of Nessy was noted, but not without trying.  There is one village on the route with various boating tours, museums, and cafés in existence specifically for the sighting of Nessy.