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Dwarfie Stane

On Hoy, Orkney
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Open all year round
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Crawl into a unique prehistoric tomb hollowed out from a massive block of sandstone.

The Dwarfie Stane has attracted curiosity for centuries. There are many stories attached to it, and it is said to have had many famous visitors. The little chambers, too small to stand up in, are thought to have given rise to legends about ‘dwarfs’ – hence the name.

The stone is classed as a Neolithic tomb, solely on the basis of its form and design: a narrow passage leading to two small cells. There have been no recorded finds of bone or artefacts linking it to any period in prehistory.

Visitors can enter the tomb, hollowed out before the invention of metal tools – although it is a tight fit! Look out for the historic graffiti, including some beautifully carved Persian script, dating to 1850, on the outside of the tomb.

A monochrome 1805 sketch showing the Dwarfie Stane, an enormous rectangular boulder with a cut entrance, set in a dramatic valley landscape. The stone sits to the right, with steep cliffs on the left and sweeping, cloud-filled skies above. A small seated figure in the foreground gives a sense of scale.
A sketch of the Dwarfie Stane dated 1805. © Courtesy of HES (Records of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland)
A black‑and‑white photograph showing the low, narrow entrance cut into the side of the Dwarfie Stane, a large rectangular sandstone boulder. A separate block of stone lies in front of the opening, and rough grass surrounds the site.
The entrance to the tomb.
A black‑and‑white 1920s photograph of four people standing beside the Dwarfie Stane, a large rectangular boulder with a carved entrance. The group is dressed in period outdoor clothing, and low, rounded hills rise in the background under an overcast sky.
Visitors to the Dwarfie Stane in the 1920s or 1930s. © National Museums Scotland. Courtesy of HES.
A close-up shot if a wall in a chambered cairn. Flat, lichen-covered stones have been stacked on top of each other to create an ancient-looking but clearly very sturdy structure.

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