There are stones . . .

. . . and then there are the Callanish Standing Stones!

Many years ago we stayed not far from here, on the West side of Lewis, and one of the reasons for coming up to Stornoway this time was so I could visit this amazing site again. And the things that depressed us yesterday, today acted in our favour. The threat of rain and the fact that the Visitor Centre was closed meant that there were not very many people at the Stones. Apparently there are usually coachloads and it gets very busy.

It is an awe inspiring sight to come upon these huge stones and so many of them. They are Neolithic, similar to Castlerigg in the Lake District and Stonehenge. There is a circle of stones, but that is only a part of it. The circle of thirteen stones clusters round the remains of a chambered cairn and then there are avenues of stones leading in each direction. Until 1857 only the upper parts of the stones could be seen and then a thick layer of peat was removed to reveal the stones in their magnificence.

Although there were relatively few people around this morning, it still took a bit of patience to take photographs of the stones without people in the picture, but that didn’t matter, as what one really wanted to do was to stand and stare and wonder and imagine . . .

Kendall made me realise that. although I said they were huge, I didn't actually give an idea of the size of the stones, especially as I was deliberately avoiding people in the picture because of trying to create an atmosphere. Here is a picture with people in.

We continued up the West coast of Lewis, as far as the Butt of Lewis and Port Ness. There are a few pictures here, if anyone is interested:

This is Dun Carloway – the best preserved Iron Age broch in the Western Isles.

This is the Butt of Lewis – not a lot after this until you get to Canada!

These are Fulmars nesting at the Butt of Lewis with the waves crashing below them.

And for those who have read The Blackhouse by Peter May (the first book of the Lewis trilogy) – here is the house Fin lived in with his aunt and here is Port Ness, where it all happened!!


We catch the early morning ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool tomorrow and then home.