Mound of Orkney

Maeshowe is a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage tomb on the mainland of Orkney. It was built around 5000 years ago. Maeshowe forms part of a wider Neolithic ceremonial landscape in central Orkney that also includes the nearby stone circles of the Ring of Brodgar and Stenness. The Neolithic village of Skara Brae is also part of the World Heritage site.

Welcome to Maeshowe

From the outside Maeshowe looks like a grassy mound. Beneath the mound lies a carefully constructed stone monument composed of a passage and central chamber built from large slabs of local flagstone. The monument is aligned so that sunlight enters the passage at the winter solstice and reaches the rear wall of the central chamber. Four standing stones were built into the corners, for reasons unknown.

Grassy mound

Welcome to Maeshowe

"Mound of Orkney"

Entrance to cairn

We took a guided tour of the cairn. You weren't allowed to take pictures inside the chamber, so I borrowed a few pictures from the internet. The central chamber was spacious, plenty of room for the 16 people in our tour group. It is nearly square, about 15 feet squared. There was plenty of room to stand, as the height was about 12.5 feet. The entrance passage isn't so spacious. It is 30 feet long, but only about 30 inches high, so we had to squat as we made our way through, being careful not to bump our heads. I don't think anyone in our group did. 

Passageway

Inside chamber 

Maeshowe was abandoned 800 years after its construction. It laid sealed and forgotten for around 3000 years, until a group of Vikings stumbled upon it and broke inside. They left behind the largest collection of runic inscriptions outside of Scandinavia. Our tour guide explained the runes in great detail.

Norse runes