Calanais Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis.Ancient rituals 5000 years ago celebrating sun and moon. The stones at Calanais emerged from the ground, driven upwards towards the stars by their Neolithic custodians. Celebrations of the moon crossing the sky at its furthest trajectory outlining Cailleach na Mointeach or “The Old Woman of the Moors”. Primeval rituals still played out today.
Today is all about Lewis. The other island in my epic adventure to Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Early start, and me and Mr T headed off back towards Tarbet before climbing over the mountains separating Lewis and Harris. It’s a thrilling climb up and past Clisham (An Cliseam), the highest Outer Hebridean summit, at 2,621 ft before storming downhill toward Loch Shiphoirt to cross the border into Lewis. Marked by a simple sign across the road from the “Taste n Sea” café, specialising in Lobster and Scampi delights, the passage from one island to the next at the head of Loch Shiphoirt is easily missed. But I stopped and jumped out to grab a shot down the loch and out to sea.
Crossing Harris to Lewis at Loch Shiphoirt
The remaining journey to Calanais was very different from that I had witnessed during my days on Harris. Rugged landscape, mountains, rocks and boulders, many small lochens and quite sparse of houses. A sharp left off the A859 and I drove across the moor highlands in glorious sunshine heading to a peninsula jutting out into Loch Ròg. The main stones at Calanais are supported by a decent car park and visitor centre so no jostling for position and disappearing down boggy verges here. It was late March, so the number of visitors at the site was low and I was able to wander around without too many people. It really is a magical place and on such a sunny day, perfect to sit on the grass and take it all in whilst listening to the rhythmic drumming of a few slightly more enthusiastic inhabitants of the circle. Whilst I waited for them to move out of shot or depart long enough, I grabbed a nice silhouette as the sun skimmed across the top of the stones.
The sun and the stones
Apparently up until the mid 1800’s only the tops of the stones were visible as they were buried in two metres of peat! I wandered around testing all different angles whilst people milled in and out of the stones, hugging, touching and generally filling my line of site. You must be patient. I don’t have any more right than anyone else to be there nor should I demand they move. Just sit back and your time will come. I found a couple of angles I liked, and sure enough within an hour that moment came when the flow of inbound and outbound pilgrims left me with an empty circle.
I can almost see the profiles of people from this angle
Calanais in the morning sun
I had toyed with ideas of staying for sunset, so headed off to photograph the sea stacks at Mangersta for the afternoon and then make a decision whether to stay late or head back to Harris.
“Come and stand here”
Heading back inland from the peninsula to cross Loch Rog at its narrowest point, I briefly skirted past Uig Bay and Ardroil Beach heading for the cliffs overlooking the sea stacks. I was getting peckish by the time I parked up near the cliffs, so took a little break for lunch with my feet hanging out of the door of the van. It’s a quiet road out this way with just a few passing cars, but a minibus full of people did pass me and disappear around the corner. It seems they stopped just out of site, as no sooner had I set off to walk to the cliffs overlooking the stacks I spotted a line of ant-like humans heading across the horizon to the same spot in the distance. I had finally met my first gaggle of tourists on Lewis and Harris. Blinking windy up on the cliff tops and I’m not best with heights, so I was gingerly making my way along the edges looking around and grabbing some handheld shots here and there. In the distance I could see the “gaggle” were now lining up and erecting tripods and cameras. I was tackling a photography day trip head on. I could see a good-looking vantage point a little in the distance, and as I passed behind the line of ‘Togs’ snapping away, I was grabbed by the arm and told “Come on, come and stand here. Look! the 3 stones mark your spot” as the lady clearly in charged pointed towards 3 neatly placed pebbles. “I think you are mistaken, I’m not part of your group” soon sorted the confusion out and I was released and allowed on my way. That said, she was right, those 3 pebbles did mark the one spot where you could just about get separation of the stacks. Well, if I was standing on a step ladder and that sure as hell isn’t happening on the edge of a cliff top in a howling gale!
Forever known as 3 pebbles point
Looking out towards Mangersta
Almost complete separation (without a stepladder) Back at the van I made the decision not to stay for sunset, but to head back to Harris as the forecast for the Northern Lights was good and I had a great spot already earmarked for that down at Horgabost. The two hour drive back allowed me to stop off for provisions and enjoy a few stops on the way before parking up right back at my very first location of this trip on Lewis and Harris, Horgabost beach. The sunset was amazing and I sat on the dunes for a few hours listening to the waves and the Oystercatchers, preying for a show of the lights. But it was not to be as clouds quickly rolled in after sunset and I would awake the next morning to snow.
Post sunset glow across the Lewis mountains where I had been earlier in the day
The blue hour
Turn up the volume and you will hear the oystercatchers at the beginning of this short video.
Truly the “Soundtrack to Harris.”
Keywords:
Calanais Standing Stones,
Harris and Lewis,
Isle of Harris,
Isle of Lewis,
Landscape Photography,
Outer Hebrides,
Scotland
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