A tall Caithness standing stone carries a name tangled with Norse memory and Arthurian speculation. Stone Lud is a standing stone, an upright prehistoric monument, in the parish of Bower south of Castletown.
The stone has been claimed as the grave marker of Ljot Thorfinnsson, a 10th-century earl of Orkney, though the pack notes that its height makes that identification doubtful. A second stone has fallen nearby, and the pair has been discussed in relation to summer-solstice sunset alignment.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Stone Lud was raised as one of the more impressive standing stones in Caithness.
A second stone once stood nearby and now lies fallen.
Later antiquarian and local interpretation claimed Stone Lud as the grave stone of Ljot Thorfinnsson, the 10th-century earl of Orkney.
The source pack cautions that the stone appears too tall for what the 10th-century Norse are likely to have used as a grave marker.
In 2003 Leslie J Myatt gave the alignment from the fallen stone to the standing stone as 322 degrees.
The alignment has been discussed as a possible summer-solstice sunset alignment, shaped by the high position of the stones and the visible Atlantic horizon.
Charles Squire connected the name with Lot or Loth and Lludd Llaw Eraint in 1912, but modern scholars are more sceptical of that link.
People
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Ljot Thorfinnsson
10th-century earl of Orkney claimed in tradition or interpretation as the person commemorated by the stone.
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Leslie J Myatt
Published an alignment discussion in The Standing Stones of Caithness in 2003.
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Charles Squire
Linked the name to Lot or Loth and Lludd Llaw Eraint in 1912, a connection treated sceptically by modern scholars.
Connections
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Bower
Caithness parish where the stone stands.
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Ring of Brodgar
Orkney stone circle used in the pack as a comparison for Stone Lud’s mass and scale.
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Maeshowe
Orkney chambered cairn contrasted with Stone Lud’s different solstice discussion.
Discovery & excavation
The source pack gives later interpretation rather than a modern excavation story, including Myatt’s 2003 alignment discussion and older claims about Ljot Thorfinnsson.
What to look for
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Standing stone
The upright stone is notable for its mass and height.
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Fallen companion
A second stone lies nearby and forms part of alignment discussions.
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Horizon alignment
The pair has been discussed in relation to the summer-solstice sunset.
What is said
Folklore and tradition, recorded as what is said — not as established fact.
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Ljot grave tradition
The stone has been claimed as the grave stone of Ljot Thorfinnsson, though the source pack cautions against accepting this as likely.
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Arthurian name link
It is said that charles Squire connected the name with Lot or Loth and Lludd Llaw Eraint, but modern scholars are more sceptical of the connection.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 58.5367°N · 3.3361°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- Standing stone in the parish of Bower; access rights are not stated in the pack.
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- Near Lybster
- 120 metres from car park
- Easy path
Questions people ask
- What is Stone Lud?
- It is a standing stone in the parish of Bower in Caithness.
- Is it really Ljot Thorfinnsson’s grave stone?
- The source pack says it has been claimed as such, but also says its height makes that unlikely.
- Is there another stone nearby?
- Yes. A second stone nearby has fallen.
- Why is astronomy mentioned?
- The alignment between the fallen and standing stones has been discussed as a possible summer-solstice sunset alignment.
Sources
Explore more: Tomb or burial places · Prehistoric · Highland
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