Farewell Orkney

O farewell Orkney I'm leaving soon
But I'll return one day to you
Farewell and know as I leave this shore
I will return to this land once more

For the last 10 years see the online Maeshowe webcamera
(every day)
See the archive of Newgrange webcamera
(only Dec. 21^st)

The reappearing sun at Orkney

As described in my article in the 3rd Stone Magazine, the sun will reappear from behind Ward Hill inside Maeshowe ((59^o 00' latitude, 3^o 11' W longitude and 22 m high) around the beginning of December and the middle of January. A picture that describes this process can be seen below:

This reappearing of the sun is of course not only visible from within Maes Howe, due to the fact that this is determined by the horizon! A study has been made of other buildings around Maeshowe, to see if this reappearing could have been captured by other buildings.

In principle the sun can reappearing from behind two steep slopes:

the steep slope of the Kame of Hoy (part of the Cuilags, HY195045)

the steep slope of Glen of Greor (part of Ward Hill of Hoy, HY 224031) in combination with the hill behind this Glen: Red Glen area (HY213016)

the Red Glen area

In the below sections a few locations are illustrated with pictures/video's:

reappearing sun from behind Ward Hill at winter solstice day near Brodgar Farm (HY304128).
reappearing sun from behind Ward Hill at 20 days before and after winter solstice at Maeshowe (HY318128).
reappearing sun from behind the Kame of Hoy at winter solstice day near Breckness (HY231096).

A Google Map is also available:

View Larger Map

Near Brodgar Farm

Dec. 21^st, 1999 AD

The video of reappearing sun is taken at a position near the Brodgar Farm (HY304128).
The direction from this location towards the steep slope of Ward Hill is 217^o 40' (+/- 30', compass reading 224^o (in 1999) compensated for true north) or using the sun reappearance: 217^o 50' (+/- 5'). The reappearing sun can be seen in a region stretching over some 250 m: from HY30151290 to HY30401275.

5000 years ago this would be around HY301130, so the question is: was there something build at that location in neolithic times? The present landowner has heard that some cists were found in earlier times. The following findings are registrated by CANMORE in this neighborhood (no dates known):

After studying this information (e.g. normally cists are not from the time period we are looking at), the neolithic house could be a clue, perhaps a valid clue for the reappearing sun from behind Ward Hill. The excavations on the Ness of Brodgar could reveal something along the lines I am looking for around the purple area (same length as the red area):

The direction from this location towards the steep slope of Ward Hill is 216^o 10' (-1.5^o change in the sun position over 5000 years). Of course also the reappearing from Kame of Hoy is visible from this location.

At Watch Stone

Charles Tait has witness a reappearing sun from behind the Ward Hill at the Watch Stone location in 1998 or 1999 (date unknown, but it was a few days before or after winter solstice).

At Maeshowe

The dates of the reappearing sun from within Maeshowe can be viewed in the table of the sun sets registrated in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Dec. 1^st 1998 AD

The below pictures are taken inside or just in front of Maeshowe (HY318128). The sun is here depicted at three different times on Dec. 1^st, 1998:

The sun just sets behind the top of Ward Hill around 15:02 UTC

this video

The sun just reappears from behind the steep slope of Ward Hill (Glen of Greor) around 15:09 UTC.

made in front of the entrance of the passage, looking towards the horizon and
showing the sunlight on the back wall of the chamber.

The computer model that predicted this reappearing sun, has provided this animated picture (2 pictures per minutes):

This picture is calculated for 20 days before/after winter solstice, so one day more then the one video taped. That is the reason why the last part of the animated picture takes 4 minutes instead of 2 minutes.

A picture (the first one on the web of this phenomena!) of this reappearing sun on the back wall can be seen here (the orange patch of light is the sun light):

The irregular shape of this patch of light is due to the modern revetment at the entrance of the passage (inset picture C in below picture, which has been made from the chamber back wall towards the right slope of Ward Hill). According to MacKie this is a modern revetment, so it could be non existing in former times.

The sun just sets behind the horizon around 15:11 UTC

Jan. 11^th, 1999 AD

Still pictures concerning this reappearing sunset can also be seen on Charles Tait's pages. One picture of this reappearing sun is copied here:

Reappearing sun light around 15:30 UTC on Jan. 11^th, 1999 (© C. Tait, 1999)

Jan. 12^th, 2000 AD

Reappearing sun light at 15.27 UTC on Jan. 12^th, 2000

Animated picture and video are available.

Jan 31^st, 2001

The reappearing sun from behind the Kame of Hoy (Cuilags) has been witnessed by Charles Tait from the entrance of Maeshowe.

5000 years ago

5000 years ago, the sun would also have reappeared from behind Ward Hill in the chamber (depending of course on the layout of the entrance, see my article). The biggest difference would be that the sun would shine in at 23/24 days before/after winter solstice. A 22/23 day period happens to coincide with the Megalithic Month mentioned by some people (like A. Thom).
The reappearing sun behind Kame of Hoy back some 5000 years is not visible from within Maeshowe chamber, but visible from the entrance of Maeshowe, the sun would reappear some 43/44 days after winter solstice day (around 2800 BC).

Near Breckness

Near Breckness there is a settlement (HY231096) looking over the Hoy Sound towards Kame of Hoy (part of the Cuilags). The direction of this line is 215^o 40' (+/- 30', compass reading 222^o(in 2001) compensated for true north). This is quiet close to the reading found at Brodgar Farm of 216^o 10' for winter solstice sunset at Brodgar Farm 5000 years ago.
From the settlement the top of Ward Hill is at 180^o 30' (+/- 30', compass reading 186.9^o (in 2001) compensated for true north). Is this all a coincidence???

After studying the documents on the settlement, no concrete information has been gained. The settlement consist of two or more chambers. These two chambers have passages, but these are directed to Ward Hill of Hoy (if the compass used in 1902 was working correctly). So it is not certain that this settlement has some relation to Kame of Hoy and winter solstice (according to direction in the picture, the passages of the two chamber point precisely to Ward Hill!).

A video has been made on January 12^th, 2001 from near Breckness (HY241091). This shows the sun while setting behind summit of Kame of Hoy around 15:17 UTC, reappearing from behind Kame of Hoy around 15:34 UTC and finally setting behind the mountains of North Scotland around 15:45 UTC.

Reappearing sun from behind Kame of Hoy
on Jan. 12^th, 2001 at 15:41 UTC

Not on film, but the sun reappeared for a second time behind the mountains of North Scotland seen from this location!

At the Breckness settlement one would see the same effect of the sun setting behind the Kame of Hoy, but then at winter solstice day 5000 years ago. If the second reappearing at that time also happens at Breckness settlement is not yet known.

Last major content related changes: Febr. 1^th, 2001