21st December is the shortest day of the year and The Winter Solstice.
The gently sloping passageway entering the monumental Maeshowe chambered tomb in Orkney is aligned so that at sunset during the three weeks before and after the shortest day of the year so the light of the setting sun shines straight down it to illuminates the back of the central chamber. The sun’s rays align with a standing stone, the Barnhouse Stone, standing 800 m SSW of Maeshowe. Built around 5,000 years ago, Maeshowe is the finest Neolithic building in North West Europe. It is a masterpiece of Neolithic design and stonework construction, not least for its use of massive individual stones.
Take a look at the short video explaining this fascinating phenomenon on youtube.
