Callanish III

Callanish III is generally dated to the late Neolithic, when many of the stone settings across the Isle of Lewis were erected, probably between about 3000 and 2500 BC. The monument forms part of the wider group of prehistoric sites known as the Callanish monuments, which are scattered across the ridges above Loch Roag. Together these stones form one of the most concentrated ceremonial landscapes of prehistoric Great Britain. Excavation of the site revealed that the stone circle was constructed on the location of an earlier timber monument. Postholes beneath the stones show that wooden posts once stood here, suggesting that people had already chosen this spot for gatherings or ceremonies…

The stone circle consists of two concentric ellipses. The outer ring measures about 13.7 by 13.1 metres (45 by 43 feet). The inner ring is a pronounced oval measuring 10.5 by 6.6 metres (35 by 22 feet). Only four stones remain in the inner circle, the tallest of which measures 2.1 metres (7 feet). There is no sign of a central mound or cairn.