Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Calanais Standing Stones III
Prehistoric
Place photograph
5.5
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
5.5At Calanais, ancient stones meet the wide, weather-exposed landscape of Lewis. The wider monument includes a cross-shaped arrangement erected around 5,000 years ago; the sources identify this smaller site as Calanais III but offer little detail about the circle itself.
A small prehistoric stone circle in one of Lewis’s most evocative archaeological landscapes. Its appeal is the chance to encounter the wider Calanais story beyond the best-known monument, though current access and site-specific details should be checked before setting out.
Atmospheric · Ancient-feeling
Find your way
Open mapCallanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
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The experience
Keep the visit focused: see the stones if access is confirmed, take time to read the landscape, and treat Calanais III as a short archaeological stop rather than assuming visitor facilities or a marked route are available at the circle.
Things to do
Consider the wider Calanais story
The wider Calanais monument is described as a cross-shaped setting erected around 5,000 years ago and used for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years. Do not assume these details refer specifically to Calanais III.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Under 1 hour
A brief stone-circle stop
- 01
Check current access arrangements for Calanais III before travelling.
- 02
If access is available, spend a short visit looking at the stones and their setting.
- 03
Follow local signs and any site guidance.
Verified history
Historic Environment Scotland describes the main Calanais Standing Stones as a cross-shaped setting erected around 5,000 years ago and an important place for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years. It says the purpose is unknown; an astronomical observatory is its best guess. These claims concern the wider Calanais monument and are not established here as specific to Calanais III.
When to go
· No specific best time is verified for Calanais III; check access arrangements before travelling.
The supplied sources do not establish a season-specific advantage for this site.
The official Calanais site describes the wider setting as the rugged west coast of Lewis. Prepare for changeable weather and check conditions before travelling.
What to look for
Look at the stones’ arrangement and how they sit within the surrounding landscape. The supplied sources do not provide verified site-specific details about the layout or individual stones at Calanais III.
The story
Archaeology
Best time to go
Year-round, subject to current access arrangements and Hebridean weather.
Choose a clear spell when you can appreciate the stones against the open Lewis landscape. The supplied sources do not establish a best season or time of day for Calanais III.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers · Photographers
Before you go
Address
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
A smaller stone-circle site identified as Calanais III, near the Calanais standing-stone landscape. The supplied sources do not confirm current access arrangements or charges for this specific circle; check before visiting and respect any signs or restrictions. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
Check before visiting
Parking
Check before visiting; parking for Calanais III is not confirmed by the supplied sources.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting; facilities mentioned in the sources relate to the Calanais Visitor Centre, not specifically to Calanais III.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting; the official Calanais website describes a café at the visitor centre, but does not confirm its proximity or current availability for this site.
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting; the supplied sources do not confirm rules for Calanais III.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
Access route and surface for Calanais III are not confirmed in the supplied sources. Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Cost
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Gallery
Place photographs
Keep exploring
Around Calanais Standing Stones III
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
Place photograph5.3Callanish Stone Circle III
Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9DY
0.2 km away
Place photograph7.1Mangersta Sea Stacks
Mangersta, Uig, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, HS2 9HA
22.9 km away
