The Callanish Stones
On a ridge in the Outer Hebrides stands a cross of standing stones older than Stonehenge's great circle, its purpose still argued over.
What was reported
The Callanish stones, Calanais in Gaelic, are a ring of 13 tall stones with a burial cairn in the middle and rows of stones running out from it, making a rough cross. They were put up between about 2900 and 2600 BC.
Local tradition says they were giants turned to stone, and that at sunrise on midsummer morning a 'Shining One' walks along the avenue.
Explanations offered
Many think the layout is linked to the Moon: every 18.6 years, when the Moon's path is at its lowest, it seems to skim along the hills to the south and set among the stones. Whether the builders intended this is debated. The stones were partly buried in peat until it was cleared in 1857.
- When
- Raised around 2900 BC
- Where
- Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Islanders and archaeologists
- Status
- Purpose debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.