The Mysterious Standing Stones of Callanish
During my adventures in Scotland, our tour guide took us to the mythical Standing Stones of Callanish which is comparable to Stonehenge in England and something that I had never heard of.
Perhaps because I am from America and we were schooled very little about in-depth geography at the time, I consider myself to have missed out on many important landmarks such as this one. The stones are located on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
(source)
The Standing Stones of Callanish are a collection of stone circles and upright stones. this one, in particular, has one of the most complete historic circles in Europe.
Callanish has 3 sites for circles, all within a mile or so from each other. The main stone circle is found near the village of Calanais. Five rows of stones radiate from the center stone. The area around the stones is cool, damp and home to more than 20 monuments erected between 3000-4000 years ago.
The rock monoliths of Callanish form a beautiful stone circle comprised of 47 upright prehistoric megaliths. The stones material is Lewisian gneiss, the oldest known rocks in the British Isles.
Intriguing and Eerie
It is presumed that the stones, roughly 27 feet apart, were erected by hand between the years 3000 and 1500 BC. In the center of the stones is a circle with 13 megaliths, with a larger one in the middle.
It is thought that these parts were the original layout and that the alignment of the stones marked important points in the lunar cycle. The stones are still a wonder for modern-day astronomers.
The overall layout of the monument resembles a distorted Celtic cross. Walking through the stones and being able to touch these legendary stones feels magical.
While this was only a short stop on our tour of Scotland, it is definitely a site that I recommend taking the time to go see the Standing Stones of Callanish as it added to the impressive history of this country.
Check out our other posts about Scotland:
Edinburgh
Royal Yacht Britannia
Ruthanne says
Fascinating article! And super photos too. Loved it!
MelodyPittman says
Thanks so much Ruthanne. 😉
Kandas says
I am so fascinated by the standing stones. Have you read Diana Galbadon’s Outlander Series? Makes me want to time travel!
MelodyPittman says
Yes! She was signing books at my local book store last year or so and I was out of town and missed her. Those are great books. 😉
Louise Behiel says
I’ve never heard of these stones. thanks for the introduction and the addition to my bucket list.
MelodyPittman says
Great! Glad I could inform you of something new. 😉 Have a great day and thanks for dropping by.
Doug says
I am impressed that we can take a fact, like the placement of the stones in a field, and make up a variety of stories about what they mean, and how they got there. I believe there are as many story makes as there are story listeners.
“If you have not heard a juicy rumour today, make one up”. 🙂
Thanks for the information, it sound like another great reason to visit Scotland.
Doug says
Thanks for the story makers.
MelodyPittman says
As if kilts, beer, and castles weren’t enough. LOL Thanks for dropping by and for the comments. I agree with you, the stories are endless and I guess we will never know if they are true or not. I like that part of the magic in just believing. 😉
Norm McLean says
Aye, Lassies and lads, if you have ever seen the stones, the images stay with you, and you are reminded of them most often. Who were those folks, and what happened to them? I will certainly go back again.