ISLE OF ARRAN
On the west coast of the island, the Machrie Moor standing stones are well worth a visit. Not far from the road, a small ancient circle is protected by a stone wall. Continue on the footpath and you will reach the main site, three-quarters of a mile across the fields. In 1993 I visited the two groups of small white boulders which lie to the right of the path, then further down on the left several beautifully mysterious tall, red stones. An information notice explains what little is known about them.
ISLE OF JURA
There are several standing stones scattered about the east coast of Jura. A Neolithic burial cairn can be found south of Strone farm. South-east of Ardmenish, on Lowlandman's Bay is the dun known as An Dunan.
KILMARTIN
Some 30 miles south of Oban, the area around Kilmartin is rich in history. Around the village many prehistoric and medieval monuments can be found including burial cairns, stone circles and cup-and-ring engravings.
ISLE OF MULL
Standing stones south of Tobermory. Before you reach Dervaig along the road from Tobermory, if you have a good map of the area, you might like to explore some of the nearby standing stones. You will see a couple marked on the map to the left of this road, then closer to the village are the Kilmore standing stones located just inside the forest on the right. From there you can go deeper into the forest and after around half a mile you will see another clearing containing yet more stones by Maol Mor. Robert Pollock has produced a guide with diagrams covering some of these stones. Further on near Calgary (13 miles west of Tobermory), there's the Cillchriosd standing stone.
At Ardura you can take a track down to Lochbuie, home of the MacLaines and site of Moy Castle and a Bronze Age stone circle. Robert Pollock has produced an excellent guide with diagrams covering the stone circle and also a standing stone. Seumas Westland has a photo of Moy Castle too.
ISLE OF COLL
Archaeological sites on Coll include a cairn at Arinagour, a souterrain at the Arnabost crossroads and Iron Age forts such as the ones at Dun an Achaidh and Feall Bay. Two standing stones can be found in the west at Totronald. These are called Na Sgeulachan in Gaelic ('teller of tales' in English) and may have been used for astronomical purposes or they could have belonged to a temple.
ISLE OF SKYE
On the lochside at Kensaleyre on the NW coast of the Trotternish peninsula are some prehistoric stones whose origin is a mystery. Legend says that there were once 3 stones which were used to support cauldrons of venison stew for the Fiennes (mystical giants who threw stones).
ISLE OF BARRA
Standing stones at Borve. Dun Bharpa is a large well-preserved Neolithic chambered burial cairn 2.5 km south of the road between Craigston and Grean (map grid reference NF 671019). Before the turn to Grean and Cleit, on a low hill close to the road, are the well-preserved remains of an Iron Age broch called Dun Chuidhir or Cuier
ISLE OF SOUTH UIST
About halfway down South Uist, you will see a turn to Bornish (Bornais in Gaelic). Dun Bhulan (on a spur of land overlooking the beach) is an Iron Age broch and settlement. There's also a track south from Bornish leading to a standing stone. On the southern coast of the island, a standing stone can be seen close to the shore near the Pollachar Inn.
Between Clachan and Lochmaddy is the Barpa Langass Neolithic cairn which has an intact burial chamber. The monument is some 25 metres in diameter and 4 metres high. It is about 150 metres south of the road. One kilometre south-east of here (or 100 metres from the end of the track at Langass Lodge) are the remains of a stone circle, Pobull Fhinn.
Near Carinish are the ruins of a 13th century church (Teampull na Trionaid), thought to have been founded by the daughter of the warrior Somerled. It is signposted 200 metres from the raod at Carinish (Cairinis in Gaelic). A long cairn, dun and stone circle can all be found east of here.
Several monuments can be found along the road to the Harris/Berneray ferry point at Newtonferry (Port nan Long in Gaelic). About 3 miles north of Lochmaddy, climb Blashaval hill to the left of the road and you will find 3 standing stones known as the Three False Men or Na Fir Bhreige. Legend has it that these mark the graves of spies who were buried alive. You'll find them on the western slope of the hill.
Dating back over 4000 years, the Callanish standing stones rank second in terms of importance only to Stonehenge. On a headland overlooking part of a huge sea loch, 53 pale grey stones of Lewisian gneiss stand in a curious cruciform. Link to my photos. The heart is a central circle of 13 tall stones where excavations in the mid-19th century uncovered a chambered tomb reported to have contained human remains. From there four limbs run out in line with the cardinal points of the compass. Pointing northwards lie two parallel rows of stones which form an avenue of unknown significance.
Together with eleven smaller sites scattered over the surrounding moorland, the main circle seems to have been an ancient astronomical observatory. Detailed calculations have shown alignments with the sun and moon at various times of the year which could have been used to predict eclipses and the coming of the seasons. Curiously, it appears to be situated just south of a sort of lunar "arctic circle" inside which the moon fails to rise above the horizon when it reaches its 19-yearly southern maximum.
There are two other stone circles which you can access near the main site. They are quite easily seen from the main road (A858) just south of the turn to the visitor centre. Cnoc Ceann (Callanish II) is 400 metres from the road . Cnoc Fhillibhir Bheag (Callanish III) is 200 metres from Callanish II along a footpath.
INVERNESS AREA
Situated in Glen Urquhart (8 miles west of Drumnadrochit) is the Corrimony chambered cairn surrounded by a circle of 11 standing stones.
Six miles east of Inverness are the Clava Cairns. These Bronze Age chambered cairns are each surrounded by a stone circle in a wooded field. A most unusual place.
ABERDEENSHIRE
One of the richest areas for standing stones and ancient monuments - so much so that they have created a 'Stone Circle Trail' (in addition to the Castle & Whisky Trails). Check out the official guide by Aberdeenshire council. An interesting starting point is the Archaeolink prehistory park.
