Stone Of Setter
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The Stone of Setter is a Neolithic
standing stone A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright rock (geology), stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. T ...
located on the island of Eday, in Orkney, Scotland. It dates to the
Late Neolithic In the archaeology of Southwest Asia, the Late Neolithic, also known as the Ceramic Neolithic or Pottery Neolithic, is the final part of the Neolithic period, following on from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and preceding the Chalcolithic. It is some ...
or Early Bronze Age, around the 2nd millennium BC. Outside of the
Stones of Stenness The Standing Stones of Stenness is a Neolithic monument five miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. This may be the oldest henge site in the British Isles. Various traditions associated with the stones survived into ...
, this monument is the tallest monolith in Orkney.
Historic Environment Scotland Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...
established the site as a scheduled monument in 1936.


Location

Situated 25m above sea level, in the north-central area of the island of Eday in Orkney, Scotland, the Stone of Setter overlooks
Calf Sound Calf Sound () is a body of water which separates the Calf of Man island from the mainland of the Isle of Man. The sound - technically a strait - is about 700 yards in width, and contains the small islet of Kitterland, which is home to a large co ...
. It is located near several burial monuments: the Vinquoy, Huntersquoy and
Braeside Braeside, meaning ''hillside'' in the Scots language, may refer to: *Braeside, Aberdeen, Scotland *Braeside, Greenock, Scotland *Braeside, Victoria, Australia * Braeside, Ontario, Canada *Braeside Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona * Breaside, Chicago, ...
chambered cairns. The stone is on private property, but can be seen from the road.


Description

The Stone of Setter is an extremely tall sandstone
monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive rock (geology), stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological for ...
of irregular shape. It dates to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, probably around 2nd millennium BC. It measures approximately in height, in width, and the stone varies in thickness from at the base to at the center. It is deeply weathered with heavy vertical lines and stands in its original placement. The monolith sits on the south edge of a circular platform in diameter, and in height. Outside of the
Stones of Stenness The Standing Stones of Stenness is a Neolithic monument five miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. This may be the oldest henge site in the British Isles. Various traditions associated with the stones survived into ...
, this monument is the tallest monolith in Orkney. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1936.


See also

*
Prehistoric Orkney Prehistoric Orkney refers only to the prehistory of the Orkney archipelago of Scotland that begins with human occupation. (The islands’ history before human occupation is part of the geology of Scotland.) Although some records referring to ...
*
Ring of Brodgar The Ring of Brodgar (or Brogar, or Ring o' Brodgar) is a Neolithic henge and stone circle about 6 miles north-east of Stromness on Mainland, the largest island in Orkney, Scotland. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart ...
*
Callanish Stones The Callanish Stones (or "Callanish I": gd, Clachan Chalanais or ) are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were a focus for ritual activity ...


References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd millennium BC Archaeological sites in Orkney Prehistoric Orkney Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Orkney Megalithic monuments in Scotland Late Neolithic Menhirs