Stone Lud facts for kids
The Stone Lud is a very old and tall stone standing in a field in Caithness, which is a part of the Highland area of Scotland. It's about 7 kilometers (about 4.3 miles) south of a town called Castletown.
This impressive stone is one of the biggest and most interesting standing stones in Caithness. It's about 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) tall from the ground. That's taller than what people in the 10th century would usually use for a grave marker! Its size is similar to some of the large stones you can see at the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney.
For a long time, some people thought the Stone Lud might be the grave of Ljot Thorfinnsson. He was an important leader, an earl of Orkney, back in the 900s. However, because the stone is so tall, this idea is now less popular.
The Stone's Partner
The Stone Lud wasn't always alone. There was once another stone standing about 30 meters (about 98 feet) away from it. This second stone has now fallen over. When both stones were standing, it's believed they lined up with the sunset during the summer solstice. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year.
Looking at the Stars
In a book called The Standing Stones of Caithness, Leslie J Myatt wrote that if you stood at the fallen stone and looked towards the Stone Lud, the direction would be 322 degrees. This direction might seem a bit too far north for a summer solstice sunset in Scotland. However, the stones are quite high up, about 75 meters (about 246 feet) above sea level. This height means they have a clear view of the Atlantic horizon, which changes how the sunset appears.
This alignment is different from another famous ancient site called Maeshowe in Orkney. Maeshowe is a special burial mound built so that sunlight shines right into it during the sunset of the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year.
A Name from Legends
The name "Ljot" (from Ljot Thorfinnsson) sounds a lot like "Lot" or "Loth." King Lot is a legendary king from the Arthurian legends, which are old stories about King Arthur. He was said to be the king of Orkney and Lothian.
In an old book from 1912, Charles Squire suggested that King Lot might be connected to an even older British god, remembered in Welsh legends as Lludd Llaw Eraint. However, today, most experts are not sure about this connection and think it's unlikely.
