Stone Age Monuments and Neolithic Structures in Ireland and Scotland

Callanish standing stones, photo  © Joanne Mackenzie-Winters

Ireland and Scotland – the heart of the Celtic world – are lands of exceptional variety and beauty, rich in culture, history, art, archaeology and natural history. The British Isles, spanning the outer reaches of Western Europe, boast a settlement history dating back over 8,000 years, from the early Stone Age peoples through to the Picts and Celts, and the later Viking occupations. These people have been forging the landscape here for thousands of years, and today’s inhabitants are passionate guardians of the Celtic culture.

Traveling to the western shores of Ireland, the Orkneys, the Shetlands and Northern Scotland, you can explore the wild side of this storied land, stumbling upon 4,000-5,000-year-old stone ruins amid the bright green countryside. Here, Celtic crosses and artifacts reveal a timeless history, and you find yourself surrounded by ancient works of art.

Hundreds of stone monuments lie strewn across the British Isles. As early as 3300 B.C., standing stones (or “stone circles,” as most are in the shape of a circle or flattened oval) began to be erected around the British Isles. At least 900 of them still exist, the most famous being Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. Journeys to these prehistoric structures compel you to consider their history and contemplate their purpose. But to explore this strange and interesting world of ancient monuments and cultures, it helps to have some background!

First, a Little History

The Stone Age is divided into three periods: the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. Neolithic (meaning New Stone Age) Britain existed approximately 4,000 years ago. The growth and decline of this society, which left its mark on the landscape in the form of great stone circles, settlements and ceremonial enclosures, is a mystery. The immense stone circles are the most puzzling of all the Neolithic creations. Today, only the stones remain, but they were once part of a broader landscape of sites built of timber and stone, erected in prominent positions in the heart of farming communities.

The stone circles were built with local stone, quarried from natural rock protrusions by inserting wooden wedges into cracks and splitting the stones. A five-meter long (16 feet) stone weighs about five metric tons; therefore, it would have taken a great deal of time and effort to construct these monuments and may have taken several generations to complete them.

Many theories have been put forward for the purpose of these circles, ranging from alien landing areas to stellar observatories for high priests. Other theories are a bit more ordinary – evolved forms of earlier henges (a word for stone circles derived as a back formation from “Stonehenge”), used as tribal gathering places for rituals based on the seasons and the fertility of the earth.

The Irish Factor

A great place to begin your own pursuit of their meaning and purpose is Ireland. Ireland has a rich archaeological heritage – based on current knowledge, the first people arrived in Ireland sometime during the Mesolithic period. Later, during the Neolithic period, another group of settlers arrived in Ireland: the first farmers, who raised animals and introduced agriculture, pottery-making and weaving.

The Aran Isles, on the west coast of Ireland, consists of three islands. Inishmor is the largest of these, and it is here you will see the incredible archaeological site, Dun Aengus. The impressive 6,000-year-old stone fortifications of Dun Aengus perch high on sheer, perpendicular cliffs above the sea. Located on the southern edge of Inishmor, the vantage point from Dun Aengus affords a view of the “valley” that makes up the center of this saddle-shaped island.  Settlers came here to escape persecution on the mainland, but life was difficult. With little or no natural soil, inhabitants would “harvest” seaweed and allow it to decompose to create what little soil this method would afford. In order that the seaweed and soil would not simply blow away, thousands of miles of stone fences were constructed.

Walking among these walls imparts a profound emotion on one’s soul; to try to fathom the hardship that inhabitants must have faced is difficult. Standing, looking towards the impressive cliffs of Moher, one has to be impressed by the perseverance, dedication and workmanship of the people who made this home.  The seas around the Aran Isles roil constantly, slowing and incessantly changing this landscape, and the power of the North Atlantic scours this stony outpost, reclaiming the land one rock at a time. Today’s residents are a hardy bunch with a fiery passion for the preservation of their Gaelic heritage.

The Orkneys

Traveling north, you will opportunely find yourself in The Orkneys – a group of islands north of Scotland’s mainland – that is considered to be one of the richest archaeological areas in the UK. The 4,000-year-old Ring of Brodgar is found here, and is one of Europe's finest ancient Neolithic monuments. Designated in 1999 as a Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, The Ring of Brodgar is a magnificent circle of upright stones, surrounded by a ditch spanned by entrance causeways. When the ring was first erected, there were 60 stones here, in a perfect circle 104meters (340 feet) in diameter. Today, only 36 of the original stones still stand.

The construction of the circle would have been a mammoth task, estimated to have taken more than 10,000 man-days to dig the ditch, plus several thousand more to locate, transport and erect the stones. The question is, why would a society that had such limited resources have spent so much effort building the Ring of Brodgar? As only limited excavations have taken place to date, there is a great deal still to learn.

The ring conjures childhood memories of the Druids and Stonehenge; however, we now know these impressive structures were here long before the Druids made use of them. There are unseemly alignments with celestial events, the purpose of which is still unknown, and largely given over to speculation and various interpretations. Is the ring magical or powerful? We will never know with certainty, however, there is an inexplicable energy here. As one walks around the ring, something changes; the air is different, much like the sensation just before a large summer thunderstorm. Despite the cold North Atlantic winds sweeping over the grass promontory, touching the stones is not as cold and harsh as one might expect – they almost vibrate, inexplicable, improbable and completely captivating.

The Last Word

Travel to these remote islands is a trip worth taking, apart even from these incredible ancient monuments. Go – for the history, the culture, the people, and the music. You’ll surely return with a “new” view of the ancient world.