At the southern end of the narrow neck of land between Loch Harray and Loch Stenness, four tall stones stand against the sky. They are all that is left of a circle that may have had twelve, laid out around 3000 BC, which makes it among the oldest stone circles in Britain. The tallest stone is over five metres, thin as a blade, cut from the local flagstone that splits into slabs, and the whole group has the stern, upright look of something that has stood a long time in the wind. Inside the circle are traces of a central hearth, and archaeologists have found bones of cattle from feasts.
The Watchstone, a single standing stone beside the causeway to the north, adds to the sense of a landscape arranged on purpose. Stenness and its neighbours are part of a ritual landscape that includes Maeshowe, about a mile east, and the Ring of Brogar further along the isthmus, and it seems that people travelled here from across the islands for ceremonies. In later centuries, local stories grew up around the stones. Some claimed that couples joined hands through a hole in one stone, now gone, to swear oaths, and one farmer in the nineteenth century smashed one stone and toppled another, and the local outrage was enough to stop him.
Riding to the circle is easy. The B9055 leaves the main road and runs beside the loch, flat and quiet, with a gravel pull-in beside the stones. The sky here is enormous and the wind stronger than you expect, so take care with your parking on soft ground and use a pad under the side stand. The stones are open, free to visit at any time, and the grass is cropped by sheep. Light in the evenings from May to August is spectacular, long and low, with colours on the water.
Stromness, about six kilometres away, has fuel, shops and a good harbour front with cafes, and Kirkwall, the main town, is further east. The Stenness area itself has a visitor centre for Maeshowe and a few places for a snack. Take a layer, because the lochside is often cool and breezy even on a bright day, and be prepared for brief showers that pass quickly. Birds are everywhere, with swans on the loch, curlews in the fields and oystercatchers calling over the grass.