Callanish Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

I went to the Isle of Lewis off the NW coast of Scotland to see the standing stones at Callanish. There are many standing stone sites around the UK, and the ones at Callanish are the best example in Scotland. Getting to the island is an all day journey from Edinburgh: train ride for Inverness (3+ hours), bus ride to Ullapool (1.5 hours), ferry ride to Stornoway on Lewis (3+ hours), local bus 30 minutes to the stones.

The standing stones are massive slabs of Lewisian Gneiss and stand above ground over 1 meter tall. They are buried in the ground and stand totally upright. Thought to have been erected about 5,000 years ago, the archeologists haven't quite figured out for what purpose they were created for. They do know that the function likely changed over the years for different generations or groups of people.

The reason I wanted to see them was spiritual, I felt there was a strong spiritual connection with them, and wanted to experience their energy.

The main stone circle at Callanish is more than a circle, it has two "arms" going off the sides, and two rows off another side, and off the "top" another arm. Some have thought it resembles a Celtic cross, though that would be much later than the original circle if that is the case.

We got to the stones early in the morning before other visitors and had the stones to ourselves for awhile. The energy was very old and powerful and felt very connected to the Earth. They are on the top of a mound, providing a great view of the lochs (lakes), farmland, and hills around.

On a practical level, its amazing to think how people 5,000 years ago could have managed to move these huge slabs of rock into place and secure them....

We also went to Callanish II and III, smaller circles nearby. Also very cool, though the energy didn't feel as powerful, but definitely connected to the other sites nearby. So glad to have made the journey....