This is the only way to actually walk among the stones themselves. There are usually not that many people there and you can just stay as long as you like. However, copies of about half the display panels can also be seen outside, so the majority of visitors who don't bother to pay to go in aren't missing much. The stones are very tall, sort of reddish color. Avebury is in the top six or seven. (Photo: vad_levin/Flickr) Resembling a … Callanish Standing Stones: 5000 years old, older than Stonehenge - See 1,600 traveller reviews, 987 candid photos, and great deals for Isle of Lewis, UK, at Tripadvisor. The dozens of stones and the chambered cairn in their midst were quarried locally and raised into their present position some 4,000 years ago, but for what purpose is likely to remain forever an enigma. Nearby Sites - Callanish I, Stone Circle, 0.0km - Callanish XVI, Standing Stone, 0.8km - Callanish II , Stone Circle, 1.0km - Callanish III , Stone Circle, 1.3km - Callanish XI, Standing Stone, 2.7km - Airigh na Beinne Bige Standing Stone, 2.7km - Garynahine/ Call IV, Stone Circle, 3.2km Ring of Brodgar in the Orkneys is also more remote, also well worth the trip. We really enjoyed the Callanish stones on the Isle of Lewis. A smoking ban would make the centre a pleasanter place. Callanish is, however, a structure that could have been used much as Stonehenge was. The other reviewer was quite right, you must visit very early or late - I would think sunset would be a more interesting time to visit. They are near the village of Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Callanish is probably my next favorite. We enjoyed the rest of Lewis and Harris too. We are interested in seeing Stonehenge, but have been told that there are other stones that are more accessible just as interesting. Another source of confusion arises from the fact that for the greater part of 5,000 years the Callanish stones have had their lower parts buried in an extensive "protective" cover of blanket bog. To our surprise, we greatly enjoyed it. The visitor centre is open during the tourist season (closed Sundays), and there is a charge for admission to the interpretive display & video here. Thanks. Enjoy ! Stonehenge is stunning but very regulated and touristy. We have visited other standing stones too. Another vote for the Ring of Brodgar. The standing stones at Callanish rival even those at Stonehenge in their inscrutability and the majesty of their setting. For many it is better than Stonehenge. Walk among the megaliths at one of Scotland’s most magnificent and best-preserved Neolithic monuments. We arrived at Callanish on a wet and windy August morning, and were surprised by the number of people braving the weather to see the stones even then.There is a large carpark and visitor centre, which is well signposted from the main road. Even at sunset [which can be well past 10pm in summer] one is still likely to trip over photographers who lurk behind almost every stone.Don't just look at Callanish standing stones, as there are also Callanish 2 and 3 within a mile, which offer more views of stone circles and the landscape around. =Tod. We preferred Callanish to Stonehenge as you could wander amongst the stones and it felt much less touristy and more real. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. A connection to both lunar and solar observations has been recognised in the design of several prominent stone-circles such as Callanish, Stonehenge, Almendres, Newgrange and the numerous RSC's (recumbent stone circles) of Scotland, which are identified with lunar observation. The only one I have been to is the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney, which is just terrific! Orkney has other ancient sites as well. You get an audio guide as a part of the admission. CalMac runs the boat. Stonehenge pales beside Callanish, Brodgar (Orkney) and Carnac (Brittany). The teenage cook at the cafe served burnt hamburgers. If you are intrigued by it, I would suggest reserving a "private access" ticket. Bizarrely there was a couple getting married in the stone circle on the day we visited! It has been nicknamed the ‘Stonehenge of the North’ but, built around 3000 BC, the stones actually predate Stonehenge by approximately 2,000 years. I have been to quite a few circles in England. We visited Avebury years ago and enjoyed the fact that people could walk among the stones (no idea if this is still the case or not). All of these sites predate Stonehenge and Avebury, as well as the Pyramids! They erected the Callanish circle on a hilltop with a view of Loch Roag and the mountains to the south. I've been to all the ones that Ed mentioned, and I think Stonehenge is the most impressive due to the size of the stones and the configuration. Hi. Ritual activity at the site may have continued for 2000 years. A great website to explore is Orkneyjar. My teens jogged around the circle (it is over a mile)--can't say you do that everyday. It takes ages to drive to the Stones from Harris and I was disappointed to find the site overun with people - which sounds odd until you realise that we had only passed a couple of cars on our trip. And don't forget Carnac in France -- a completely different experience. From Skye you'd take the ferry to Harris and drive up. Callanish Standing Stones: Better than Stonehenge - See 1,607 traveler reviews, 1,004 candid photos, and great deals for Isle of Lewis, UK, at Tripadvisor. Feb 3, 2014 - The Standing Stones of Callanish, an evening spent amongst these mystical and magical stones Sony Alpha A100, Sigma 10-20mm, F5.6, 12mm, ISO400, Exp 1/40 Seconds No Filters, Sony HVL-F56AM Wireless Flash My Flickr Photostream Please View On FlickeFlu Brian Kerr Photography Please do not use this image on w… Not a good day out. We have been to most of the stone circles in the UK and Ireland. Everyone obviously heads to Callanish. Telephone: +44 (0)1851 621422 I think this is still very much worth a visit, but it is not some hippy site to sit and meditate any more. and if bored of them the village in the middle was cute enough. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Also, there are a lot of roads being revamped in the area, so your GPS may not guide you very well. 2200 BC: People on an island off the coast of northern Scotland selected beautiful, monolithic stones filled with quartz and hornblende (a dark, crystalline mineral) and moved these massive, multi-ton stones for several miles across the land. Callanish is most impressive. Callanish and Stenness were built about 500 years before Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where crowds continue to gather to mark the summer solstice each year at dawn on 21 June. How long does that take from Dublin or Iverness? One of my favorite memories was watching children rolling down the hill between two of the uprights and sheep grazing among them. Callanish Standing Stones: Better than Stonehenge - See 1,607 traveller reviews, 1,004 candid photos, and great deals for Isle of Lewis, UK, at Tripadvisor. Home Stonehenge Avebury Callanish - Callanish map Megaliths Carnac Books on megaliths. Constructed 5,000 years ago, they are possibly a sophisticated lunar observatory. Due to the weather, we didn't walk around the other sites, but that would probalby be well worth doing if you're visiting. The two circles are different. Stonehenge is unique - it's the only one I know of with the horizontal stones connecting some of the uprights. The most impressive – Callanish II and Callanish III – lie just over a kilometre southeast of the main Callanish St… It is well worth the time to see. Having been 15 years ago and just been back, they have improved the site quite a bit (cafe and visitors' centre) without ruining it. Just got back--did the Madmax bus tour. There is also a King Stone and the Whispering Knights burial chamber. Callanish I: (Stone Circle, Avenues). It has been suggested that we see the Standing Stones of Callanish on the Isle of Skye in SCotland. If you are intrigued by it, I would suggest reserving a "private access" ticket. Only the crowds spoil the scene, and one can wait ages for that perfect photograph, willing tourists to get out of the way and make their return to the tour bus. Any visit to the Isle of Lewis has to include the Callanish Standing Stones, which pre-date the more well-known Stonehenge by a considerable amount.Below are two of the many shots from last week, both were taken in the evening, one a little before sunset and the … Urras nan Tursachan (The Standing Stones Trust) Calanais Visitor Centre Calanais Isle of Lewis Western Isles Scotland HS2 9DY. 15 years ago, it was very isolated and so quite mystical and magical, this time, there was information and coffee as well. The Calanais Standing Stones are an extraordinary cross-shaped setting of stones erected 5,000 years ago. Once you've had time to spend among the stones, then you should be ready for some gorgeous fruit loaf or apple & cinnamon pie fresh ground coffee or homemade quiche, Gregor the baker is a gem, went back 3 times for his cakes! It is a very moving place and luckily we had it mainly to ourselves, it is difficult to imagine in our cosy modern lifes how it would have been for the creators of Callanish, but to stand alone, looking up the west avenue, you begin to get a feel for how amazing this place is. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy, http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/stone-circle-access/. We were there about 2 hours including parking and getting tickets. Castlerigg, just above Keswick in the Lake District, is my very favorite. You can walk all the way around. While you cannot walk amongst the stones, neither can all the rest of the people. See more ideas about standing stone, outlander, stonehenge. Very impressive, and within a short drive of the Stones of Stenness, a group of standing stones that are very tall, Maeshowe, an amazing chambered tomb (this requires booking your tour time earlier in the morning, since space is limited) with the largest collection of Viking graffiti outside of Scandinavia, and just up the coast is Skara Brae, the best preserved Neolithic community in Northern Europe. Ways to Experience Callanish Standing Stones, Historic Sites, Points of Interest & Landmarks, History Museums. We had previously bypassed Stonehenge, but this summer our route took us right by there, so we decided to stop. There were only a few people there at the same time. Also avoid Stonehenge on any of the celestial landmark days - solstice etc - as 10s of thousands show up for those. That said oldest son liked Stonehenge the most. The remoteness of it, as well as the ones on Orkney, add a lot to the appeal. Stenness and Callanish were built some 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic period, more commonly known as the Stone Age. I arrived via ferry from Stornoway. You can find out how by visiting the official Stonehenge website.....Callanish on Lewis … If you go there early evening, you will often be sharing it only with the cows. You’ll find the Callanish Standing Stones near Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis laid out in a cross formation. Maeshowe is amazing. The Callanish Stones are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. I've been to both Stonehenge and Callanish. I've been to both Callanish and the Ring of Brogdar. It is free to the public, who can walk around the stones, walk on top of the fallen ones, sit on one that was split by lightening about thirty years ago. Avebury is so huge it is hard to get a sense of "stone circles". 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