Stone 12 Detail
Detail of stone 12 (with stone 11 in the background) in the Ring of Brodgar, c. 2500 BC, with the Loch of Harray in the background. Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland. Measuring nearly 104 m in diameter, this impressive Neolithic monument is a true circle that is thought to have originally consisted of 60 stones. Today 27 stones remain standing, ranging in height from 2.1 m to 4.7 m. The ring is positioned on a scenic strip of land between the freshwater Loch of Harray (to NE) and the saltwater Loch of Stenness (to SW).