Callanish Stones

The monument is widely known as the Callanish Stones, the English form of the local place name Calanais, a settlement on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The word clachan means "stones", while tursachan refers to a group or arrangement of standing stones. Both names therefore describe the stone setting at Calanais. Archaeologists often refer to the monument as Calanais I or Callanish I. This numbering system distinguishes the main stone circle from other prehistoric monuments in the surrounding landscape, including Callanish II, Callanish III, Callanish IV, and several smaller stone settings nearby. These different names reflect the long history of the site. The Gaelic names come from local place-name traditions connected to the landscape, while the numbered name belongs to modern archaeological study of the wider Callanish monument complex. ==Location==

The Calanais Stones () are situated on a low ridge above the waters of Loch Roag with the hills of Great Bernera as a backdrop. Numerous other ritual sites lie within a few kilometres (miles). The most impressive – Callanish II and Callanish III – lie just over a kilometre (1000 yards) southeast of the main Calanais Stones, and originally consisted of circles of stones at least eight in number. (see Callanish III, Callanish IV, Callanish VIII and Callanish X). Historic Environment Scotland states that the stones were erected around 2750 BC, pre-dating Stonehenge. ==Description==

The Calanais Stones consist of a stone circle of thirteen stones with a monolith near the middle. Five rows of standing stones connect to this circle. Two long rows of stones running almost parallel to each other from the stone circle to the north-northeast form a kind of avenue. In addition, there are shorter rows of stones to the west-southwest, south and east-northeast. The stones are all of the same rock type, namely the local Lewisian gneiss. Within the stone circle is a chambered tomb to the east of the central stone. Centre stone The central monolith stands 0.8 (32 inches) metres west of the true centre of the stone circle. The stone is 4.8 metres (16 feet) high, 1.5 metres (5 feet) wide and 0.3 metres (1 foot) thick. The largest sides of the stone are almost perfectly oriented to the north and south. The largest stone is 3.5 metres (12 feet) high and stands on the western end of the row. The two rows are not exactly parallel to each other but fan out: at the north end the rows are 6.7 metres (22 feet) apart, while the distance between the rows is 6 metres (20 feet) at the south end. This was built later than the stone circle and is squashed in between the eastern stones and the central monolith. It has been reduced to ground-level and the outline can barely be traced. It is not necessarily an original part of the site. ==Archaeology and dating==

There were limited excavations from 1980 to 1981 which provided some information on the development of the site. The first traces of human activity are indicated by a broad ditch (no longer visible above ground) which appears to have belonged to some structure or enclosure. The many pottery fragments found indicate that the tomb was used for several centuries. Between 1000 BC and 500 BC the stones were covered by a thick layer of turf. It is estimated that the place was abandoned around 800 BC. Only in 1857 was the overlying 1.5 metres (5 feet) of peat removed. ==Later history==

The first written reference to the stones was by Lewis native John Morisone, who around 1680 wrote that the stones were men "converted into stone by ane Inchanter" and set up in a ring "for devotione". Sometime around 1695 Martin Martin visited the site and was told by the local people that "it was a place appointed for worship in the time of heathenism, and that the chief druid or priest stood near the big stone in the centre, from whence he addressed himself to the people that surrounded him." In 1743, William Stukeley described the stone circle as a druid circle and the avenue like a serpent. In 1819, geologist John MacCulloch published the first accurate description. In 1857 peat to a depth of five feet (1.5 metres) was cleared away, under the orders of the proprietor of Lewis, James Matheson, revealing the chambered tomb and the true height of the stones. In 1885 the Calanais Stones were taken into state care. ==Interpretation==

Alexander Thom and Gerald Hawkins suggested that the stones were a prehistoric lunar observatory. Others have proposed a relationship between the stones, the moon and the Clisham range in Harris. Critics of these theories argue that several alignments are likely to exist purely by chance in any such structure, and many factors such as the weathering and displacement of the stones over the millennia mean there can be no certainty of any alignments, original or otherwise. == Conservation and heritage status ==

The Callanish Stones are a protected archaeological site in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. The monument is legally protected as a scheduled monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, recognising its national importance as one of the most significant prehistoric stone settings in Britain. ==In folklore==

According to one tradition, the Calanais Stones were petrified giants who would not convert to Christianity. ==In popular culture==

Literature • The stones appear as a setting in the novel Lookout Cartridge (1974) by American writer Joseph McElroy, where they form part of the book's Scottish landscape. • The stones feature in Death of an Adept (1996), a fantasy novel by Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris. They also appear on the cover of the 1997 mass market paperback edition illustrated by Joe Burleson. Music and album artwork • The band Ultravox used an image of the stones on the cover of their album Lament (1984). Parts of the promotional video for the single "One Small Day" were filmed at the site, although the performance scenes were shot at the nearby Calanais III. • Musician Jon Mark released the album The Standing Stones of Callanish (1988), an ambient recording inspired by Britain's ancient landscapes. • The stones appear on the cover of Jehovahkill (1992), an album by Julian Cope reflecting his interest in prehistoric monuments and megalithic culture. • The album Dream Harder (1993) by The Waterboys includes the song "Wonders of Lewis", which appears to reference the stones and the wider prehistoric landscape of the Isle of Lewis. • The Dutch melodic death metal band Callenish Circle took their name from the monument, using a slightly altered spelling of Callanish. • The British electronic band Ladytron filmed the music video for the song "Mirage", from their album Gravity the Seducer (2011), at the stones. Film and television • The Pixar animated film Brave (2012) includes several scenes set among stone circles inspired by the Callanish stones and other Scottish prehistoric monuments. • The television series Outlander (2014), based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, uses the stones as the model for the fictional circle Craigh na Dun, portrayed in the story as allowing time travel. Visual art • Sculptor Gerald Laing created a work titled Callanish (1974) for the campus of University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The sculpture consists of sixteen upright steel girders arranged to echo the pattern of the prehistoric stones and is popularly known as "Steelhenge". Other cultural references • Bank of Scotland debit cards have featured an image of the stones as part of a series showing Scottish landmarks, including the Falkirk Wheel. ==Other nearby sites==

Archaeologists usually refer to the main monument as "Calanais I", because many other prehistoric stone sites lie in the surrounding landscape. These monuments are spread across the moorland around Loch Roag and nearby islands. Core Calanais ridge Several monuments stand on the ridges and slopes close to the main Calanais Stones. • (Callanish II) – stone circle • (Callanish III) – stone circle • (Callanish IV) – stone circle • (Callanish V) – stone alignment • (Callanish VI) – stone circle Great Bernera group Two related monuments lie on the nearby island of Great Bernera, across a narrow strait from Lewis. • (Callanish VIII) – semicircular monument at the edge of a cliff • (Calanais VIIIa) – standing stone Western moor group Several smaller monuments are scattered across the moorland west and southwest of the main site. • (Calanais IX) – stones • or (Callanish X) – stone setting • (Calanais XI) – standing stone; stones; cairns • (Calanais XII) – standing stone • (Calanais XIII) – stone setting • (Calanais XIV W) – stone setting • (Calanais XIV E) – stones Peripheral or uncertain sites Some stones lie farther from the main monuments or survive only as possible prehistoric features. • (Calanais XV) – standing stone • (Calanais XVI) – standing stone; stones • (Calanais XVII) – standing stone (possible) • (Calanais XVIII) – standing stone (possible) • (Calanais XIX) – standing stone (possible) Other archaeological site • (Callanish VII) – ancient settlement or shieling ==References==