Callanish ( gd, Calanais) is a village (township) on the west side of the
Isle of Lewis, in the
Outer Hebrides (Western Isles),
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. Callanish is within the parish of
Uig. A linear settlement with a
jetty
A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying some ...
, it is on a headland jutting into
Loch Roag
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch.
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
, a
sea loch
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch.
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spel ...
west of
Stornoway. Callanish is situated alongside the
A858, between
Breasclete
Breasclete ( gd, Brèascleit) is a village and community on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Breasclete is within the parish of Uig, and is situated adjacent to the A858.
History
Breasclete has several ston ...
and
Garynahine
Garynahine ( gd, Gearraidh na h-aibhne) is a settlement on Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Garynahine is situated at a T-junction where roads from Stornoway, Uig and the west side of Lewis all meet. The roads are the A858 and the B8011 ...
.
The
Callanish Stones
The Callanish Stones (or "Callanish I": gd, Clachan Chalanais or ) are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were a focus for ritual activi ...
"Callanish I", a cross-shaped setting of
standing stones erected around 3000 BC, are one of the most spectacular
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
ic monuments in Scotland. A modern visitor centre provides information about the main circle and other lesser monuments nearby, numbered as Callanish II to X.
References
External links
Calanais Visitor CentreBreasclete Community Association (local area's website)Panoramas of the Callanish Standing Stones(QuickTime required)
Canmore - Lewis, Callanish site recordCanmore - Calanais, Calanais and Bhreascleit War Memorial site recordCanmore - Lewis, Callanish, Tea Rooms site recordCanmore - Lewis, Callanish, Pier site record*
A Statistical Analysis of Megalithic Sites in Britain : Alexander Thom*
Alexander Thom
Alexander Thom (26 March 1894 – 7 November 1985) was a Scottish engineer most famous for his theory of the Megalithic yard, categorisation of stone circles and his studies of Stonehenge and other archaeological sites.
Life and work Early ...
{{Authority control
Villages in the Isle of Lewis