Romancing the Stone

FOR those seeking the romantic gesture to end all romantic gestures, there's still time (a minimum 15 days' notice is needed) to arrange Valentine's Day nuptials on the ancient site that once held the world's biggest engagement ring.

Orkney's Standing Stones of Stenness are widely believed to be part of a 5,000-year-old fertility site and associated rituals included handfasting ceremonies centred on a huge monolith with a hole in the middle. The prehistoric Stone of Odin is no longer there but in recent years "romancing the stone" on the site has become very popular with couples of all religious persuasions. Some bring a minister, some a Wiccan priest, some just do their own thing.

Gordon and Jenny Marriott travelled from Warwickshire. "We had an official marriage and then we came out to Stenness and did our handfasting," Jenny says. "The whole thing had great meaning for us, there was such an aura of sacredness surrounding the place."

The marketing potential has not been lost on Stenness resident Morag Robertson, who has been at the forefront of a local campaign to replace the prehistoric Stone of Odin.

"This stone was unique and so were the ancient troth-pledging ceremonies that went with it," she says. "People come from all over the world to touch the Neolithic stones and if we give them a wedding package to go with it we've got a 21st-century goldmine."

The stone stood where Neolithic Orcadians celebrated growth and new life, and couples prepared for a fruitful union by joining hands through the hole and swearing an oath. The tradition carried on through Viking times - hence the reference to chief god Odin - and co-existed with Christianity in later centuries when the "parting by death" condition was tempered by the concession of breaking the troth by going through the Stenness kirk and out separate doors.

The present Stenness kirk has just the one door but there's no Stone of Odin either, thanks to a 19th-century landowner who smashed it to stop people tramping across his field.

Orkney Islands Council did recognise the tourism potential in bringing it back and earmarked money to look into the feasibility of replacing it, but things seem to have been put on the back burner since the area was granted World Heritage status.

"Where the original stone was isn't part of the World Heritage site itself, but the surrounding area is governed by a UNESCO code of practice that has to be abided by," says a Historic Scotland spokeswoman.

There are two problems. Firstly, non-authenticated replicas aren't popular with UNESCO. Secondly, there are two sockets, so which contained the Stone of Odin? There are old drawings that differ slightly - which is right? Even if the original sandstone bedrock is used and a big notice saying "replacement" goes up there's a lot of red tape to get around, and a fair bit of sweet-talking to do.

Robertson is up for it. "This stone was an integral part of our heritage and unique in Scotland because of its three properties - contractual, curative and magical. It was used for lots of things other than troth-pledging. Any agreement with hands clasped through it was binding."

One of the most famous stories involving the Stone of Odin emerged after Orkney's notorious Pirate Gow courted the daughter of a merchant. Their troth was plighted through the stone but by the time she sussed out his true nature he'd been captured by the navy and executed in London. The poor girl couldn't extricate herself from the pledge until she travelled there and touched his dead hand. Such was the power of 18th-century troth-plighting.

"What really sticks in your mind are some of the details on the old drawings," says Robertson. "If you look closely you can see where one side of the hole is worn smooth by the linked arms passing through. I know if the stone went back the idea would take root among the younger folk."

A check with couples on the street lends support to the idea. "I'd love that," says Valerie, 24. Partner Kenny agrees, conditionally. "Yeah, well, it would be great, but I wouldn't really fancy it if it was raining."

Linda, 28, would consider a handfasting ceremony, and the present Standing Stones of Stenness would suffice. "More folk should know about this, it's a brilliantly romantic idea," she says. "So long as it isn't midgie weather," counters her partner, David.

For modern man, the days of derring-do appear to be over.