Stone O' Quoybune

Going back to 2.200 years before J.C and rising with almost 4 meters in height, this menhir is an example of the many solitary megaliths which mark out the landscape of the Orkneys. It is held in a field, close to the road, which makes easier its visit.

It belongs to the legends of petrified giants.

Like Yetnasteen on the island of Rousay, O' Quoybune travels each morning of the new year. It goes close to the very close lake in order to be refreshed in its cold water. A saying tells that a traveller being opposite him this night there, will not see the next New Year's Day….

Many stories circulated, much are forgotten.

There remains one about it however, reported in writings of 1884. One can read that a Scottish young man found himself opposite the stone, the evening of New Year's day, about midnight. Realizing very of a blow where it was, it was taken tremors and saw the stone going towards the lake… His/her friends found it the next morning, inanimate and in a surprising state of tiredness. That there was well left there, since the majority of the others were found died purely and simply!