Calanais

Calanais is a locality on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, best known for the Callanish Stones, a prehistoric stone circle complex. The site dates to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, with estimates commonly placed around 2900–2600 BCE. It forms a distinctive landscape feature, comprising a main circle of standing stones surrounded by supplementary stones, rows, and smaller stone settings that together make up a broader ritual complex.

The principal feature is a large stone circle arranged in a roughly cruciform plan, accompanied by radiating avenues and additional stone alignments that point across the surrounding moorland. The overall arrangement is widely regarded as a ritual and ceremonial site, with proposed astronomical and seasonal alignments discussed by researchers. The Callanish complex is considered one of the most complete and significant megalithic monuments in Scotland, and it has been a focus of archaeological interest since the 18th century. It is protected as a scheduled ancient monument.

Today the site is accessible to visitors, with marked pathways and informational materials that explain its history and probable functions. The Callanish Stones are often linked with other nearby stone settings in the wider Calanais area, reflecting a dispersed landscape of megalithic ritual activity on the western shore of Lewis.

Name variants include Calanais (Gaelic) and Callanish (the more commonly used English form). The site remains a key reference point in studies of Neolithic and Bronze Age Scotland.