Scotland’s Stonehenge of the North

An Ancient Observatory?

No one truly knows why the stones were built, but many historians and scientists believe the most probable reason is that the stones are an ancient type of astronomical observatory or celestial calendar.

Archaeological research over a number of generations has uncovered that the Standing Stones of Callanish appear to be aligned with movements of the solar system. The stones are positioned to align with the path of the sun and the moon at different points in the solar circle. A tall monolith stands at the heart of the circle, with smaller stones radiating out to the east, west, and south. An ‘avenue’ runs from the north, consisting of two rows of stones.

It seems too much of an incredible coincidence that it wasn’t the intention of the ancient people of Scotland.

The Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year, or the summer solstice, occurs once a year around the 21st of June. People all over the UK celebrate the longest day at landmarks throughout Britain including, most famously, Stonehenge. Here in Scotland, the Callanish Standing Stones are the ideal place to enjoy the longest day, where you can watch the sun rise only a few short hours after setting.

The word ‘solstice’ comes from the Latin word ‘solstitum,’ which translates to the ‘sun standing still.’ On the longest day, the sun stops moving northward, and it signals that each day will shorten in increments.

Historically, pagans celebrated the summer solstice as they believed it was the day when the veil between our world and the next one was at its most fragile. Thus, the fairies’ magic was believed to be at its most powerful.

Some Quirky Folklore

Since the erection of the stone circle thousands of years ago, the human race has advanced at an accelerated rate. But there’s one thing that hasn’t really changed: our capacity for imagination.

• One early story was that the standing stones were living Giants that once walked among the earth, but they were petrified by St Kieran, who thought them to be evil spirits when they refused to convert to Christianity.
• In the 17^th century, islanders on Lewis would refer to the stones in Gaelic as ‘fir bhreige,’ which translates to false men.
• Another tale tells of a glowing entity, known as the ‘Shining One’, walking the northern avenue stones early midsummer morning, his arrival signalled by the call of a cuckoo.
• Another legend states that the stones were once buried deep beneath the earth and were uncovered by a very determined and strong farmer who was out looking for rocks to build a wall.

Believe it or not, the ancient Standing Stones of Callanish are not the only ones in Scotland. Take a look below to learn about a couple of other similar sites, which, happily enough, Wilderness Scotland also visits.

Orkney – Ring of Brodgar

The Ring of Brodgar was built around 2500 -2000 BC and so is even older than Callanish. It is the third-largest stone circle in Britain and is also thought to be an astronomical observation of the solstice. According to legend, it is said to be a religious shrine and a place of ancient ritual.

• Learn more about the Ring of Brodgar in our Top 10 Things to Do in the Orkney Isles
• See it for yourself on our Orkney Islands walking holiday.

Kilmartin Glen – Three Sets of Standing Stones

Kilmartin Glen is another amazing place to view impressive ancient standing stone monuments. This incredible area has three different sets of standing stones:

1. The standing stones of Ballymeanoch is a complex of Neolithic (Stone Age) structures. These stones date back over 4,000 years and the tallest stone measures 4 meters in height. The stones are structured in a circle with two rows of 4 and 2 stones.
2. Temple Wood is an ancient site that is made up of two circles – a northerly and a southerly one. The southern circle contains 13 stones, and it is believed that in the past there may have been 22 stones. It is thought that the south circle was built first around 3000 BC.  The northern circle is smaller and is made up of stones that are rounder than those in the southern circle.
3. The Nether Largie Standing Stones can be found to the south-east of the Temple Wood Stone Circle. The site is made up of four tall standing stones with a single stone in the middle. It is believed that the Nether Largie Standing Sones acted together as a lunar observatory, but no one truly knows for sure. The site is made up of four tall standing stones with a single stone in the middle.

Visit Kilmartin Glen on our Wilderness Walking trip – Argyll and the Isles