Stone of Setter Standing Stone and Enclosure, Eday Eday, Scotland

Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

This monument is of national importance because it is a well-preserved and very impressive example of an individual standing stone, the tallest in Orkney apart from the Stones of Stenness, and a famous landmark. Though weathered, it is in generally good condition and still stands in its original socket. By analogy with excavations at other standing stones (such as Carlinwell in Angus), there is high potential for the survival of human remains and other important archaeological evidence beneath and around the Stone of Setter. These can inform our understanding of the dating, method of erection, how the stone was used and the nature of the environment at the time it was erected. Overall, the Stone of Setter has high potential to enhance our understanding of social and ceremonial activities in prehistoric times, and the beliefs of the people that built and used these sites. This standing stone, located in such a prominent position, also has the potential to inform our knowledge about the value attributed to such monuments in later times, perhaps showing some continuity of function in marking a route-way or territory. Its significance is enhanced by its close proximity to a number of other important prehistoric monuments in the wider landscape of Eday, including several chambered tombs, and by its possible association with the adjacent enclosure. The loss of this monument would impede our ability to understand the nature of prehistoric belief and ritual, both in Orkney and further afield, and the placing and function of such monuments within the landscape.