The Stone o' Setter, Eday

Perhaps one of Orkney's finest monoliths towers over a landscape dotted with chambered cairns in the northern half of Eday

Known as the Stone o' Setter, this standing stone is seven feet wide at the base and at over 15 feet high (4.5 metres), is one of the tallest megaliths in Orkney.

Surrounded by ancient chambered cairns, the Setter Stone stood in an area that was of some sacred significance to the islanders of prehistoric times.

Centuries of weathering has given the sandstone monolith a distinctive profile. Tapering from the top, heavy erosion gives the monolith the appearance of a giant stone hand - a fact that has ensured it a place in local folklore. But although the stone bears an uncanny resemblance to a giant's hand, tradition has it that it was raised by a local laird.

This laird first dug a massive hole to house his monolith, before piling up earth to form a slope by the hole. The stone was laid on its side on this ramp with the intention of rocking it until the stone final slid into place.

However, despite their efforts the stone wasn't shifting. The men didn't have the strength to push it upright. So to help overbalance the seesawing stone, the laird asked his wife to climb out and sit on the other end of the stone, hanging over the deep pit.

The dutiful wife clambered out across the horizontal stone and sure enough it began to rock. As she jumped on one side, her husband and his entourage pushed the other in an attempt to overbalance the massive sandstone monolith.

As the rocking motion of the stone grew greater, the faster the wife jumped and the harder the laird's men pushed. Then, with a shriek the laird's wife overbalanced and fell down into the socket hole. Scant seconds later the stone crashed down on top of her.

According to the islanders, it was no secret that the laird detested his wife so made no attempt to remove her from underneath the Setter Stone. Instead the megalith was pushed upright and the hole filled with rocks and packed earth.

It is tempting to ponder whether this seeming nonsensical tale may contain some trace of folk memory regarding sacrificial traditions and the original erection of such stones.