Sunday the 11th of August 2024, and Mike and I went to say ‘Farewell‘ to the site. It’s not open at weekends, and the dig finishes for the known future on Friday the 16th. We went round the site a couple of weeks ago,
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16925
but Sunday’s pilgrimage was for us to stand at the gate – peacefully – look across to the site, and acknowledge/accept the fact that it will soon disappear, and isn’t likely to be un-earthed again in our lifetime.
We parked in the Ring of Brodgar car park, and walked around the left hand side of the Ring – noticing how a ‘Please keep to path’ sign aligns nicely with a track left by folk ‘nipping across’ to gain access when the gates are shut

I’ve written of this before, and will repeat my message here….
Both paths around the Ring have taken a battering in recent years – HES are trying to care for them

and help from the public would …help!
Down past the Comet Stone, with its own tiny little garden atop

And so, to The Ness

Someone had scratched a ‘butterfly‘ mark on the gate post

This carving has become one of the recurring motifs of the Ness….
I took a picture of the site from where we could stand by the gate

And one of Hoy across the way – as it was back then, too

We raised our sticks in salutation and walked back the way we’d come, past the Ring and its many visitors…

The last time we’ll visit the Ness while it’s above ground. We intend to return, and lean on the gate – knowing the site is there and knowing what was discovered while it was ‘exposed’. That’s enough – for now.






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