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The Callanish Stones

© Sharma Krauskopf

The Callanish Stones

Most people have heard of Stonehenge in southern England but few are familiar with the line of megaliths which is rated second only to the English site. The Callanish Stone Circle located on the Isle of Lewis off the western coast of Scotland is in many ways more appealing than Stonehenge. First, because of its remote location it is not necessary for it to be protected from the type of damage which the public has perpetrated at Stonehenge. Callanish has no fences or barriers and the site is accessible at all times. Second, there are no crowds. I have been there many times when I was the only one walking among the stone giants. It allows the visitor to experience what it was like when the stones were built.

The Stones were believed to be positioned around 1800 BC. Four incomplete avenues lead away from the center 13 stones, with single rows of stones to the east, south and west, and a double row just east of north. Had the rows all been completed they would have all started at the center stone. The north avenue is the most complete with 19 large stones. The stones are made of Lewisian gneiss and were once partially buried under peat. Inside the circle are the remains of a chambered round cairn of Neolithic type, but archaeologists are undecided whether this was built before or after the stone circle and stone rows.

You can find some more good pictures of the stones on the following web sites:
Jim Henry OnLine
Lewis Expedition: Callanish Stones
Elizabeth Buie's Webspace
University of the Highlands and Islands

The purpose of the stone circle is unknown but it is thought they may have been used for astronomical observations. Many legends have developed in the local area of what the purpose of the Callanish Stone Circle was and examples of some of these can be found on the Stone Pages web site.

The area has much more to offer than just the Callanish Stone Circle. The Callanish Stone visitor center has an exhibition which tells the story of the stones, a fantastic shop with many local crafts including "Harris Tweed" garments, and a wonderful tearoom. You know the tearoom is good when you see local people take their lunch there. I found the soups and scones of particularly superior quality. Just a few miles away stand the 2,000 year old Dun Carloway Broch, or dun, a circular dry-stone built fortified tower.

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