SCOTLAND
Walked by Vanessa Wight
2.4 miles/3.9km 1.5 hours Easy 50m
Lying on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides are the Calanais Standing Stones, an astonishing cruciform-shaped arrangement of stones erected over 5,000 years ago.
This walk links two smaller, lesser-known stone circles and ends at the imposing megaliths, which stand on the brow of a windswept hill. The stones are said to signify a connection between Heaven and Earth, which makes the experience even more ethereal at sunrise or sunset on a wild winter’s day.
1 START
From the visitor centre car park, bear left on to the road. At the T-junction, turn right, eventually joining the A858. On the right-hand side at ¾ mile is a lane signposted ‘Calanais II’. Go right here and continue to the end of the track, where you pass through a gate. Cross a muddy field and climb over a stile to the stone circle.
2 0.9 MILES
Close to the waters of Loch Ròg stands Calanais II, Cnoc Ceann a’ Ghàrraidh in Gaelic. Originally consisting of 10 stones in an oval-shaped ring, only a few now remain. The cairn in the centre is thought to be a burial chamber.
After lingering to take in these relics, turn left and head east. Walk ¼ mile towards Calanais III, using the boardwalk to traverse the worst of the boggy ground. Pass through a gate, then gently climb up to the ridge to reach the stones.
3 1.1 MILES
Calanais III, Cnoc Fillibhir Bheag in Gaelic, consists of two concentric circles. It is suggested the inner circle is dedicated to the Triple Celtic Goddess, symbolising the three stages of a woman’s life: the maid, the mother and the ‘crone’. The fourth stone represents their male consort. The hills in the distance are known as Cailleach na Mòinteach, or the Old Woman of the Moors.
Continue along the track, go through a gate,
