Evening Lecture: Stonelands with Fiona Robertson

From the folkloric stone circles of the Land’s End peninsula to the windswept giants of Orkney and the Isle of Lewis, Britain is full of prehistoric standing stones. Sharing photos from her many megalith-hunting trips, Fiona Robertson speculates about the motivations of the ancient builders as well as exploring the profound appeal these places still exert on us today, from their enchanting legends to the way they act as metaphors for human strength and endurance. She talks about her personal story, discussing how these incredible survivals from prehistory can be a source of joy, inspiration and even solace, connecting us to the landscape and the past. Fiona Robertson is a writer, editor and committed megalith enthusiast, who loves to drag her family all over the country in search of standing stones. She is the author of Stone Lands (a Telegraphand Waterstones best book of 2025). In a previous life, she was the Publisher of Watkins, where she enjoyed commissioning books that leaned into her interests in folklore, folk tales, nature writing and, of course, standing stones. Find out more about her megalithic adventures on