The Circle and the Morning Boat

The Ring of Brodgar stands between two lochs. The stones make a circle about one hundred and four metres across. People built it about four thousand years ago.

There were around sixty stones once. Thirty-six are standing now. Polly walked around the outside. Nobody wrote down why the circle is there.

Then it was time to leave. At the harbour office there was a shag behind a counter. "What time does the ferry leave?" Polly asked. "How much does this cost?" Then she said, "I would like to buy a ticket, please."

"How long does the crossing take?" she asked last. In the morning the boat went out past the low headland. The islands went down behind it, one by one.