Callanish stones and Arnol Blackhouse, Isle of Lewis
The Callanish Standing Stones are one of the most important and impressive archaeological monuments in Scotland, so if you are out in Lewis or Harris you really ought to include them in your programme of walks and visits.
This is more a car tour than a walk, but there are opportunities for adding short walks as well as other visitor attractions on this circuit around the west side of the Isle of Lewis. You can vary it according to the weather and what most interests the members of your group. We included Arnol Blackhouse and the Bragar Whalebone Arch but missed out the Carloway Broch and a separate Blackhouse Village. We also noted that there were good walks in the grounds of Lews Castle at Stornoway.
- I'll remember most the profile of the stones against the sky
- The smoky interior of the Black House at Arnol was also memorable
- The girls particularly enjoyed the Whalebone Arch at Bragar
- The worst bit was not finding a cafe in Stornoway
Contributed by Andrew Llanwarne
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Key Facts
| Location | Callanish, west coast of the Isle of Lewis |
| Date walked | 9 April 2008 |
| Walk type | Countryside and easy hill walks |
| Difficulty | Easy sightseeing, with option of walks requiring some fitness |
| Distance | 1-5 miles, up to 8 km |
| Map used | OS Landranger 1:50,000 sheet 8 - Stornoway and North Lewis |
| Walk source info | Walking the Western Isles (Mary Welsh, Clan Walk Guides) and Hallewell pocket guide to Walks:Western Isles by Luke Williams |
| Getting there | By car via Tarbert in Harris |
| Places to stay | In Tarbert, Stornoway and some townships |
| Other features | Archaeological interest & social history |
| Disabled access | No |
