The Callanish Stones (or "Callanish I"), Clachan Chalanais or Tursachan Chalanais in Gaelic, are situated near the village of Callanish

Callanish

Callanish is a village on the West Side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland. A linear settlement with a jetty, it is situated on a headland jutting into Loch Roag, a sea loch...

(Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic language

Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....

: Calanais) on the west coast of Lewis

Lewis

Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....

 in the Outer Hebrides

Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...

 (Western Isles of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

).

Construction and description

Construction of the site took place between 2900 and 2600 BC, though there were possibly earlier buildings before 3000 BC. A tomb was later built into the site. Debris from the destruction of the tomb suggests the site was out of use between 2000 BC and 1700 BC. The 13 primary stones form a circle about 13 m in diameter, with a long approach avenue of stones to the north, and shorter stone rows to the east, south, and west. The overall layout of the monument recalls a distorted Celtic cross

Celtic cross

A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...

. The individual stones vary from around 1 m to 5 m in height, with an average of 4 m, and are of the local Lewisian gneiss

Lewisian complex

The Lewisian complex or Lewisian Gneiss is a suite of Precambrian metamorphic rocks that outcrop in the northwestern part of Scotland, forming part of the Hebridean Terrane. These rocks are of Archaean and Paleoproterozoic age, ranging from 3.0–1.7 Ga. They form the basement on which the...

.

Interpretation

The first written reference to the stones was by Lewis native John Morisone, who in c. 1680 wrote that "great stones standing up in ranks [...] were sett up in place for devotione".

The tallest of the stones marks the entrance to a burial cairn

Cairn

Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...

 where human remains have been discovered. An excavation campaign in 1980 and 1981 showed that the burial

Burial

Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...

 chamber was a late addition to the site, and that it had been modified a number of times. Pottery finds suggested a date of 2200 BC for the erection of the circle. It has been speculated, among other theories, that the stones form a calendar

Calendar

A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...

 system based on the position of the moon

Moon

The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...

. Professor Alexander Thom

Alexander Thom

Alexander "Sandy" Thom was a Scottish engineer most famous for his theory of the Megalithic yard, categorization of stone circles and his studies of Stonehenge and other archaeological sites.- Life and work :...

 suggested that the alignment of the stone avenue (when looking southward) pointed to the setting of midsummer

Midsummer

Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different...

 full moon

Full moon

Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...

 behind a distant mountain called Clisham

Clisham

The Clisham is a mountain on the island of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland. At it is the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides and the archipelago's only Corbett....

.

Critics of these theories argue that several alignments are likely to exist purely by chance in any such structure. In addition many factors such as the weathering and displacement of the stones over the millennia mean we can never be certain of any original, possibly intentional, alignments.

The stones in folklore and popular culture

Local tradition says that giants

Giant (mythology)

The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...

 who lived on the island refused to be converted to Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 by Saint Kieran

Ciarán

Ciarán , Ciaran in Scottish Gaelic, Ceiran, Kieran, Keeran, Kyran, Kiaran, Keiran, Kieren, Kieron, Keiron or Kiernan , is a personal name meaning "small dark one". Ciarán comes from the Irish word "Ciar" which means black or dark. Ciar can be linked back to Ciar, son of Fergus, King of Ulster...

 and were turned into stone as a punishment. Another local belief says that at sunrise

Sunrise

Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...

 on midsummer morning, the "shining one" walked along the stone avenue, "his arrival heralded by the cuckoo

Cuckoo

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...

's call." This legend

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

 could be a folk memory

Folk memory

Folk memories is a term sometimes used to describe stories, folklore or myths about past events that have passed orally from generation to generation. The events described by the memories may date back hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years and often have a local significance...

 recalling the astronomical

Astronomy

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...

 significance of the stones.
In 1974, the sculptor Gerald Laing

Gerald Laing

Gerald Ogilvie Laing was a British pop artist and sculptor. He lived in the Scottish Highlands.- Life :...

 created a work known as Callanish for Strathclyde University's campus in the centre of Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. He created 16 abstract steel girders planted in the ground - intended to mimic the configuration of the real stones. The sculpture is popularly referred to as "Steelhenge".

In 1984, the new romantic

New Romantic

New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...

 band Ultravox

Ultravox

Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....

 used an image of the stones on the cover of their album Lament

Lament (Ultravox album)

Lament is an album by Ultravox, released in 1984. This was the seventh full album and the fourth of the band's most-recognisable incarnation, fronted by Midge Ure. It was also the last album featuring original drummer Warren Cann. The album peaked at no.8 on the UK album chart and was certified...

. They also used the scenery to record the video of One Small Day

One Small Day

"One Small Day" is the first single from Ultravox's seventh studio album, Lament, released on 26 January 1984. It peaked at #27 in the UK Singles Chart.The song is unusual for Ultravox in that it is mainly guitar rather than synth driven....

, first single taken from that album. In 1988 Jon Mark released a CD, The Standing Stones of Callanish, intended to evoke Britain's celtic legacy.

Other nearby sites

Archaeologists usually refer to the main monument as "Callanish I", because there are several other megalith

Megalith

A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...

ic sites in the vicinity:

• "Cnoc Ceann a' Ghàraidh" (Callanish II
  Callanish II
  The Callanish II stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland....
  
  ) – stone circle
• "Cnoc Filibhir Bheag" (Callanish III
  Callanish III
  The Callanish III stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland....
  
  ) – stone circle
• "Ceann Hulavig" (Callanish IV
  Callanish IV
  The Callanish IV stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland....
  
  ) – stone circle
• "Àirigh nam Bidearan" (Callanish V) – stone alignment
• "Cùl a' Chleit" (Callanish VI) – stone circle
• "Cnoc Dubh" (Callanish VII) – ancient settlement or "shieling" (stone dwelling used while tending cattle on summer pastures)
• "Tursachan" (Callanish VIII
  Callanish VIII
  The Callanish VIII stone setting is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland...
  
  ) – unique semicircular monument at the edge of a sheer cliff on the nearby island of Great Bernera
  Great Bernera
  Great Bernera , often known just as Bernera is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With an area of just over , it is the thirty-fourth largest Scottish island....
  
  
• "Àird A' Chaolais" (Callanish VIIIa) - standing stone
• "Àirigh Nam Bidearan" (Callanish IX) - stones
• "Na Dromannan" ("Druim Nan Eun") (Callanish X
  Callanish X
  The Callanish X stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the more well-known Calanais I on the west coast of the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland.-External links:...
  
  )
• "Beinn Bheag" (Callanish XI) - standing stone; stones; cairns
• "Stonefield" (Callanish XII) - standing stone
• "Sgeir Nan Each" (Callanish XIII) - stone setting
• "Cnoc Sgeir Na h-Uidhe" (Callanish XIV W) - stone setting
• "Cnoc Sgeir Na h-Uidhe" (Callanish XIV e) - stones
• "Àirigh Mhaoldonuich" (Callanish XV) - standing stone
• "Cliacabhadh" (Callanish XVI) - standing stone; stones
• "Druim Na h-Aon Choich" (Callanish XVII) - standing stone (possible)
• "Loch Crogach" (Callanish XVIII) - standing stone (possible)
• "Buaile Chruaidh" (Callanish XIX) - standing stone (possible)
• There are many other sites nearby; not all are now visible. There was, for instance, a timber circle 0.5 km south at Loch Roag.

External links

• Breasclete Association local area's website
• Many photos of Calanais I; links to photos of other Calanais sites
• Megalithic Portal: photos, locations and descriptions of Callanish I – XIX and other nearby sites
• RCAHMS Canmore entry on Callanish

• Calanais East Row