Stone added to Skara Brae timeline to
mark first man in space
Story dated: April 10, 2008

One of Scotland’s most celebrated Neolithic sites is to commemorate a defining moment in the space race.

The pathway to Skara Brae, in Sandwick, is lined with carved stones that form a time trail of major events in human history. Historic Scotland created it to emphasise the immensity of the changes that have taken place since the settlement was inhabited 5,000 years ago.

On Saturday, April 12, a new stone will be unveiled - marking the anniversary of Russia’s success in sending the first man into space.

On April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who grew up west of Moscow, orbited the Earth in his spaceship, Vostok 1.

The idea for the new stone was originally suggested by Alexander Korobko, who visited Orkney in 2006 in search of his Orcadian roots.

Mr Korobko and a series of Russian dignitaries, as well as cosmonaut Georgi Michailovich Grechko, are due to be present at the unveiling.

The stone, which is around 20cm by 30cm, was engraved by Leslie Merriman, a member of Historic Scotland’s Orkney monument conservation unit and simply states: “1961, First Man in Space”.