Callanish VIII

Callanish VIII
Tursachan
The Callanish VIII stones, looking southeast
Callanish VIII is located in Outer Hebrides
Callanish VIII
Shown within Outer Hebrides
LocationLewis
Coordinates58°12′20″N 6°49′45″W / 58.20554°N 6.82906°W / 58.20554; -6.82906
TypeStanding stones
History
PeriodsNeolithic, Bronze Age

The Callanish VIII stone setting is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known (and larger) Calanais I on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles), Scotland. It is also known locally as Tursachan.[1]

This is a very unusual (and possibly unique) setting, with a semicircle of four large stones on the edge of a cliff on the south of the island of Great Bernera and looking across a narrow strait to Lewis. There is no evidence that the cliff has collapsed here and destroyed half of a complete circle – it would appear that a semicircle was the original intention. The tallest stone is nearly three metres high and the cliff-edge axis of the circle gives a diameter of about 20 metres.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Great Bernera, 'tursachan', Barraglom (4112)". Canmore. Retrieved 11 September 2024.