Callanish

Callanish, also spelled Calanais, is a prehistoric stone circle and ceremonial landscape on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The central feature is a large circle of standing stones set on a hillside overlooking Loch Roag, accompanied by a tall central monolith and a stone-lined avenue that leads toward the water. The Callanish complex includes additional stone circles, alignments, and burial monuments in the surrounding landscape, forming one of Britain’s most extensive Neolithic sites.

The principal circle is dated to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, with construction commonly placed around 2900–2600 BCE. The site may have served ritual and ceremonial purposes, and its layout has been interpreted as having astronomical or calendrical significance, including possible lunar and solar alignments. Despite ongoing research, precise functions and the full extent of its astronomical meaning remain debated.

Callanish is protected as a scheduled monument and is administered by Historic Environment Scotland. It attracts visitors and researchers for its scale, preservation, and insights into prehistoric life in the Outer Hebrides. The site lies near the village of Callanish and forms part of a broader landscape of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments on the island of Lewis, illustrating long-term ceremonial use of the landscape.