Beginning and ending in Stornoway, this one day journey visits two of the many well-known stone sites on Isle of Lewis, the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland.
Sites to be Visited
Callanish Standing Stones
Dun Carloway
Journey to the Isle of Lewis Stone Sites
The two sites listed here may be visited in one day as the entire route is only 42.3 miles (68.1 km).
Our first site on this journey is the Callanish Standing Stones, one of the most iconic megaliths in Scotland, if not the entire UK. Dating from around 2000 B.C., the central and row stones of Calanish altogether encompasses some 50 stones. The 13 primary stones between 8 and 13 feet tall form a circle about 43 feet in diameter, with a long approach avenue of stones to the north, and shorter stone rows to the east, south, and west. It is located at NGR NB2129833013. It is 17.5 miles (28.2km) away from the Stornoway Ferry Terminal where our journey begins at NGR NB426340. Detailed Driving Directions Map
Our second site to visit is Dun Carloway, a well-preserved broch overlooking Loch Roag on the Hebridean island of Lewis. Built some time in the 1st Century B.C. as a defensible residence, it is a short 6.4 miles (10.3km) away and located at NGR NB1900441224. Detailed Driving Directions Map
After our visit to Dun Carloway, we return to Stornoway, which is 18.4 miles (29.6km) away and where we began this journey. Begin by heading north to the village of Carloway before turning towards Stornoway.
Detailed Driving Directions Map
Addendum: The above are only two of the many stones sites on the Isle of Lewis. Four example, there are more sites near the Callanish Standing Stones site we first visited on this journey that are well-worth visiting all of which share the name Callanish (Calanais):
Callanish II Stone Circle (Cnoc Ceann a'Ghàrraidh)
Callanish III Stone Circle (Cnoc Filibhir Bheag)
Callanish IV Stone Circle (Ceann Hulavig)
Callanish VIII Stone Circle (Gaelic as Cleitir)
Visitors Information
Information on the many Isle of Lewis stone sites may be found at the
Megalithic Portal website. General tourist information may be found at the Visit Scotland website.
Disclaimer
As of the date of this posting, road directions and conditions are correct. Please check local road conditions, however, for possible changes prior to venturing forth on this journey. A helpful resource for road changes and possible trip interruptions if you are travelling in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland is the AA-UK Route Planner. Another map source that this website uses and that may be useful to you on your journeys is Streemap UK.
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