Scotland Guide
Skye and the Western Isles
Calanais
Address: Five miles south of Carlabhagh
CALANAIS (Callanish) is the site of the islands' most dramatic prehistoric ruins, the Calanais standing stones, which occupy a serene lochside setting. These monoliths – nearly fifty slabs of gnarled and finely grained gneiss up to 15ft high – were transported here between 3000 and 1500 BC, but there have been years of heated debate about the origin and function of the stones, although it's obvious that the planning and construction of the site – as well as several other lesser circles nearby – were spread over many generations. Such an endeavour could, it's been argued, only be prompted by the desire to predict the seasonal cycle upon which these early farmers were entirely dependent, and indeed many of the stones are aligned with the positions of the sun and the stars. This rational explanation, based on clear evidence that this part of Lewis was once a fertile farming area, dismisses as coincidence the ground plan of the site, which resembles a colossal Celtic cross, and explains away the central burial chamber as a later addition of no special significance. These two features have fuelled a plethora of theories ranging from alien intervention to human sacrifice.
A blackhouse adjacent to the main stone circle serves as a tearoom offering limited snacks. On the other side of the stones, the Calanais Visitor Centre (April– Sept Mon– Sat 10am–6pm; Oct– March Wed– Sat 10am–4pm; museum £1.85; 
www.calanaisvisitorcentre.co.uk ) has a slightly longer (though no more imaginative) menu and a small museum on the site, but with so much information on the panels beside the stones there's little reason to visit it.