Sometime in the twelfth century, a group of Norsemen broke into a tomb that was already three thousand years old, sheltered there, and carved their names on the walls. The result is that Maeshowe holds one of the largest collections of runic inscriptions anywhere outside Scandinavia, cut into a chambered cairn built by people the Vikings knew nothing about.
The Tomb
Maeshowe was built around 2800 BC. From outside it is a grass mound roughly 35 metres across and 7 metres high. Inside, reached by a low passage some nine metres long that forces you to stoop the whole way, is a corbelled chamber with three side cells.
The masonry is what impresses archaeologists. The walls use enormous flagstone slabs, some weighing several tonnes, dressed and fitted with a precision that is not obviously necessary and clearly deliberate. The corner buttresses are single standing stones. It is the finest surviving chambered tomb in northwest Europe.
The Solstice Alignment
The entrance passage is oriented so that for a period around the winter solstice, the setting sun shines directly down its length and strikes the rear wall of the chamber. The alignment is toward the Barnhouse Stone standing in a field beyond, and the sun sets behind the hills of Hoy.
Historic Environment Scotland runs a webcam on the chamber during the solstice window, which is how most people now see it, and demand for the handful of physical places is intense. The effect is visible for several weeks either side of the solstice, so you do not have to be there on the exact date.
The Runes
Around thirty runic inscriptions are cut into the chamber walls, carved by Norsemen in the twelfth century. Norse sagas record a party sheltering in the mound from a storm, and the graffiti reads exactly as you would expect from bored, boastful men stuck indoors:
- Claims that treasure was carried off from the mound, and that great treasure remains hidden nearby.
- “Ingigerth is the most beautiful of women,” carved next to a drawing.
- Straightforward signatures of the form “X carved these runes,” several boasting about the carver’s skill with an axe.
- A carved lion, a walrus and a serpent knot, executed with real competence.
The combination is the point: Neolithic engineering, Norse vandalism, three thousand years apart, in one small stone room. Maeshowe is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.
Visiting
- Entry is by guided tour only, and you must book. Numbers per tour are limited and slots sell out, particularly in summer and around the solstice. This is not a turn-up-and-walk-in site.
- Tours start from the visitor centre at Stenness, not at the mound itself; you are taken across.
- The passage is genuinely low. You go in bent almost double for nine metres. Anyone with back, knee or mobility problems should know that in advance.
- No photography inside the chamber.
- Allow about an hour for the tour.
- It sits within a couple of miles of the Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and the Ness of Brodgar, so all four are one outing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the Viking runes at Maeshowe say?
Mostly what bored men carve. There are around thirty inscriptions from the twelfth century, including claims that treasure was removed from the mound, a note that “Ingigerth is the most beautiful of women”, and several signatures boasting about the carver’s skill. There are also carvings of a lion, a walrus and a serpent knot.
Do you need to book Maeshowe?
Yes. Entry is by timed guided tour only, with limited numbers, departing from the visitor centre at Stenness. Slots sell out in summer and around the winter solstice.
When does the sun align at Maeshowe?
Around the winter solstice, when the setting sun shines down the entrance passage onto the rear wall of the chamber. The effect is visible for several weeks either side, and Historic Environment Scotland streams it by webcam.
Is Maeshowe accessible?
The entrance passage is about nine metres long and very low, requiring visitors to stoop almost double for its full length. It is not suitable for anyone with significant mobility, back or knee problems.
Sources & Further Reading
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Heart of Neolithic Orkney
- Historic Environment Scotland — Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
