#TRAVEL My Weekly Powerup | #club100 | A visit to The Heart of Neolithic Orkey - Scotland | #steemexclusive / 9 photos

"Before I went to the Orkney islands, I had read that these islands are filled with archeological gems that can be traced back to Stone Age. These small islands have a long history. They have been inhabited for thousands of years - since the Stone Age. Coming from Norway, it was especially interesting to notice the close connection to my own country and culture. The Vikings left a profound influence on the islands. Especially when it comes to language. The language spoken by the Vikings, was the old Norse language. It was a real surprise to recognize so many names (streets, places and even hotels) with «norwegian» names. We made the small «capital» Kirkwall our base for exploring the Mainland which is an island. But Kirkwall is the main city and administrative center of the islands.

One of the most interesting archeological site we went to, was this place called Ring of Brodgar . This is one of the largest stone circles on the islands and in Scotland. This circle is believed to date back to around 2500 / 2000 B.C and on UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of what is called «The Heart of Neolithic Orkney». Archeological excavations have reveiled tombs, villages and stone circles.

This circle is something like 100 meters in diameter and surrounded by ditch all the way round. To day we can see 27 standing stones with a hight of more than 2 meters. Archeologists have assumed that there might have been as many as 60 stones. Beyond the ditch we saw lots of mounds that contains ancient tombs. After what I have managed to find out, this was sacred ceremonial ground.

I was here in the month of august. The landscape is treeless and because of wind an rain, it became a wet experience. The dark sky added drama to the whole scene, but the sun did apear as well. We were here on our own. Not as part of a tour group. This meant we could stay for as long as we wanted. Tour groups did arrive.They took a walk all the way around the circle. Then they left. My friend and I had the whole place to ourselves most of the time. The Orkneys are unique place with a rich history. This is only one of the places we visited. There are a lot more to be explored some other time.

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U.J

Kristiansand, Norway

All the photoes are mine, Ulla Jensen (flickr, Instagram and facebook)

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