- There and back walk: 0.86 miles
- what3words address for parking: ///stew.ferrying.callers
- GPX File
This barely counts as a walk, but I’ve included it here because of its interest. We parked in the small parking pull-off beside the road (enough space for three or four cars) and were putting our boots on when a local stopped and asked if it (the ‘temple’) was worth seeing because he’d always intended to visit but never had. I couldn’t answer his question then, but now I can: yes – it’s worth it!
A short stroll across the moorland passes a small collection of the remains of domestic buildings before arriving at the ‘temple.’
According to Historic Environment Scotland: “Stanydale ‘Temple’ is the only truly megalithic structure surviving from prehistoric Shetland. It comprises a wall of large boulders enclosing a wide oval area, which would have originally been enclosed by a great timber roof. We don’t know what purpose Stanydale served. The archaeologist who excavated the site called it a ‘temple’, as the structure is similar to known Neolithic temples in Malta. However, it could just as easily have acted as a village hall, courtroom or chieftan’s hall. Whatever its purpose, it’s a significant building in a landscape rich in prehistoric structures.”
There was more of the structure to see than I’d anticipated and, for me, it was well worth the kilometre walk each way.
Download file for GPS