Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland Apr 19, 2024

At the heart of the Orkney Islands, an archipelago in northern Scotland, lies an ancient riddle: the Ring of Brodgar. Dating back to sometime between 2500 and 2000 BCE, this Neolithic henge—a type of ancient circular earthwork—and stone circle measure about 103 metres across. Lying on a narrow strip of land between two lochs, the site initially comprised 60 stones, although today only 36 remain. The exact purpose of the structure is still unknown; in 2008, an excavation project called the Ring of Brodgar Excavation was undertaken to try to learn more about the site, but the project has not yet reached any conclusive results. In 1999, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, which includes the Ring of Brodgar, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you are planning a trip to Scotland, consider walking amid the echoes of history at the Ring of Brodgar while the crisp Scottish air embraces you.

© Paul Williams - FunkyStock/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Apr 19, 2025Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Apr 19, 2026Mirror Beach, Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 15, 2025Pointe du Diable, Saint-Pierre, Réunion Island
Jun 7, 2025Summit of Pine Mountain, Angeles National Forest, California, United States
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles
May 24, 2024Añisclo gorge, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Feb 16, 2024Pyrrhuloxia bird
Oct 7, 2024Bora Bora in French Polynesia
Jun 17, 2024Green-crowned brilliant
Nov 18, 2023Polar bear mother and cubs
Oct 1, 2024Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Jul 27, 2024Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Apr 28, 2024El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
Dec 25, 2024Lakes of Covadonga, Asturias, Spain
Oct 21, 2023Persepolis, Iran
Sep 8, 2023The Circus, Bath, Somerset, England
Jan 21, 2026Eurasian red squirrel
Apr 16, 2025Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Dec 24, 2023Town Hall Square, Tartu, Estonia
May 17, 2025A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Oct 2, 2024Wind River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA
May 19, 2026Formentor Lighthouse, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Aug 31, 2023Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona, USA
Apr 12, 2025View from the cupola of the International Space Station
Apr 9, 2026Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales
Aug 19, 2024Bufadero de la Garita, Gran Canaria, Spain
Mar 31, 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Aug 21, 2025Wheatear, Peak District National Park, England
Oct 29, 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Oct 31, 2025Bran Castle in Bran, Brașov, Romania