callanish

The Standing Stone of Callanish

On the western coast of the Isle of Lewis in Callanish are three sites of standing stones. Similar to Stonehenge but uncovered and not fenced off so you can walk up to and among the stones. The stand on top of a small hilltop with a small village nearby. They are very dramatic up close at the end of day.

Four thousand years old, one other visitor leaving said it was beautiful and another adult family complained and laughed at them - you make the call.

The story is that before the stones there were fields with circular crops then 5000 years ago a stone circle later more were added to form a cross.

Bones were buried in the middle later then it was ransacked. The long tail of the cross points south to where the mid summer eve moon sets behind the highest mountain on the isles, legend has it when the sun rose on the midsummer morn, the Shining One walked the stone avenue heralded by the call of the cuckoo. Fortunately I was there in October. Some of the stones were used for local buildings but most remain.

The stones are ancient different heights some over 15.5 feet

The third site is closer to the water's edge. It's a beautiful site with water on two sides. 5000 years ago the sites were closer to water and the current fields were forest before climate change. Now peat moss has taken over.

Next stop Loch Ness

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