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The WatchstoneStanding Stone / Menhir
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Visited 26th October 2012 As fine a monolith as you'll ever see, but the Watchstone sometimes gets overlooked amongst the excitement of visiting Stenness and Brodgar. There are clear blue skies over the Ness of Brodgar at the moment, but ominous clouds gather around on the horizon, and we drove through a snow shower on the way here from Kirkwall. As I stand at the base of the stone in the bitter morning air, I just marvel at the immense menhir in front of me. I love this stone, it's usually one of the first places I come to when I get to Orkney, in a way the Watchstone is a touchstone for me, a signifier that I'm here, in my favourite place in the heart of Neolithic Orkney. We had a horrendously rough crossing over from Aberdeen last night, seasickness striking Ellen, but standing here, all of the ordeal of the journey up seems worthwhile. Ellen and I parked the car up at Stenness and walked along the road to the stone, the path continuing along a newly constructed lochside route, which leads you on a lovely walk, onwards from the stone, past the site of the Ness of Brodgar excavations until you get to the Ring of Brodgar itself, a walk well worth taking, just make sure to say hello to the Watchstone on your way, as he keeps a silent watch out across this ancient landscape. |
Posted by Ravenfeather28th October 2012ce |
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Visited 4.6.12 This is one large and very impressive stone. It would not look out of place at Stenness. I hope someone doesn’t drive into it! |
Posted by CARL 9th July 2012ce |
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The Watchstone, like the Barnhouse and the Stones of Stenness is clearly visible from the Kirkwall-Stromness road. You cannot miss it. I couldn't help but imagine an avenue of stones connecting Stenness and Brogar, though of course, there's no evidence for this at all. |
Posted by Hob22nd June 2004ce |
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At 19 feet high, the Watchstone was once one of a pair of standing stones which guarded the causeway leading to the Ring Of Brodgar. Although it will never really be known what the purpose for the Watchstone ever really was. It has been speculated that it could have formed part of a ceremonial link between the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Brodgar ring. |
Posted by notjamesbond2nd June 2003ce |
Folklore |
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It was once believed that the Watchstone would come alive at midnight every New Year's Eve and drink from the loch next to which it stands. This tale of course stems from the time when folk believed that standing stones were petrified giants. I'm not sure how widely believed it is nowadays lol! |
Posted by notjamesbond 2nd June 2003ce Edited 2nd June 2003ce |
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1760 Pococke's drawing shows a second stone on the opposite side of the road a little further away from the roadside. This is longer than it is tall and resembles a recumbent [though I suppose it could be a very large natural boulder like the Savile Stone]. The 'companion' stone is actually a diamond shape which if to the same scale as the Watch Stone would come oot as some 14' high and wide ! As far as I can tell from Pococke's drawing it would have been about grid ref HY30671275. Wilson 1842 "Close to either side of the southern end of the bridge... stands a great sentinel stone... ...as you approach [the Ring of Brodgar] you pass here and there a solitary stone or broken remnant, as if there had been... a connecting range or approach, all the way from the bridge to the great circle" |
Posted by wideford9th May 2010ce Edited 11th May 2010ce |
| points 33 degrees W of N, the stub with NE/SW alignment not making a 'gateway' therefore |
Posted by wideford 7th August 2009ce Edited 7th August 2009ce |
| 14 yards SSW a stone stump aligned NE/SW could possibly now gone could have been all that remained of the arc of a large circle now underwater. It was 4'9" wide, 5" thick and a little over 3' high. The top was level with the presentday ground surface. |
Posted by wideford 7th September 2004ce |
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Charles Tait: Standing Stones of StennessA Web site belonging to Charles Tait who I'm assuming is a professional photographer. This page has a good photo of the Watchstone on it, and if you're in a mood for browsing there are a few other photos worth looking at on the same site. |
Posted by Kammer9th January 2003ce |
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