"it comes to me that these stones are art themselves. And not just the structure as a whole, but each stone in itself is a statement, an end result of active decisions made. It was chosen, it was moved, it was placed here, the ground as the frame it’s fixed in saying: look at this, this is important."
Some thoughts on art, memory, history and other things after visiting the standing stones at Calanais last month.
#writing #WritingCommunity #StoneCircles #calanais
https://nickbwalking.medium.com/among-the-stones-of-memory-6c16eaf4c422?sk=8db3c60a370690e794e75676b595480c

And thinking of the individual stones as art gets me thinking about stories (as I do a lot nowadays). We have a time frame of hundreds of years for their erection, so maybe one way to think of each stone as an event in itself, not just part of the whole? What stories might have been told about each one, and might they have been a way of linking generations, providing an aid to memory and storytelling? #calanais #callanish #standingstones

Had a great day at the Calanais standing stones. The cross and circles as a whole are interesting, but the individual stones are fascinating to look at with so many patterns in the Lewissian Gneiss rock that makes them up. Fascinating to think of how they were erected and their status as art - people choosing certain stones for their appearance then consciously displaying them, saying "look at this, it's important". #StoneCircle #stones #calanais #Scotland #IsleOfLewis #callanish

#StandingStoneSunday #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Callanish #Calanais #Megaliths #Lewis #Hebrides #Scotland

Autumn evening at the stone circle at Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

The most famous alignment marks the major southern lunar standstill that occurs every 18.6 years, when the moon is seen apparently born from between the thighs of Sleeping Beauty. It skims the horizon and vanishes. Only to reappear to shine dramatically into the circle. The hills of the #Cailleach na Mointeach or Sleeping Beauty near #Calanais resemble a pregnant woman, this is best seen from The Achmore circle. Sketch and photo from Bruce Adams’ album #StandingStoneSunday #Callanish

I did see the #northern lights, however it was in the 1990s on the Isle of #Lewis, so that probably doesn't count as recent. I also only had Ilford HP5, which probably wouldn't have been the optimal film type for capturing the event. Here are the #Calanais Standing Stones on Lewis, looking in quite good shape for a 5000 year old.

#StandingStoneSunday #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Callanish #Calanais #Megaliths #Lewis #Hebrides

Autumn evening at the stone circle at Callanish, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Another one for #StandingStoneSunday

#Callanish
#CallanishIII
#Calanais
#IsleOfLewis
#OuterHebrides
#Hebrides
#Island
#Scottish
#Scotland

Visiting Scotland's archaeological sites, is a real privilege, including going to amazing places like Calanais.

Following lock-down and some challenging years for us all, I also realised just how much I had benefited from spending time, at a slower pace, for quiet contemplation when I visit sites. It has helped improve my health and well-being.

Picture - someone finding time to reflect at Calanais.

#Archaeology #Landscape #Scotland #Calanais

Hello. I’ve been a bit sporadic on here recently. Apologies. Posting the Calanais Standing Stones for today’s #PhotoOfTheDay We’ve visited a number of times and are always in awe. Go if you get the chance. They’re older than Stonehenge and you can still touch them.. #Scotland #ScottishHighlandsAndIslands #history #StandingStones #calanais

A VIRTUAL TOUR OF SCOTLAND

We travel north from Harris to Lewis, then west to Loch Roag, on the Atlantic coast. This area is home to over 20 ancient monuments including Calanais I, a complex arrangement of some 50 stones. At their heart is a circle of 13 stones between 8 and 13 feet tall. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/lewis/calanais/index.html

Where to next? Vote via the poll attached as a reply.

#Scotland #Calanais #Callanish #StandingStones #Neolithic #Lewis #WesternIsles #UndiscoveredScotland

Grian-stad. Solstice.
Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan.
'Night of the seven suppers'

#WinterSolstice #Gaelic #Gàidhlig #MastoDaoine #Calanais #Scotland

The standing stones at Callanish, or Calanais, Isle of Lewis. My photo 1988.
#Callanish
#Calanais
#IsleOfLewis
#photography
#BlackAndWhitePhotography

Mightily chuffed that the Scottish Geology Trust is using my picture of the northern lights at the Calanais Stones, Lewis, in its new ‘Geology Does’ campaign to raise awareness of the role and importance of geology. Find out more: http://scottishgeologytrust.org/geology-does

#geology #callanish #calanais #isleoflewis #outerhebrides #astrophoto #northernlights #photography #deeptime #milkyway #nightphoto #science

Standing Stones Sunday? Alrighty, here’s Calanais I #standingstones #calanais #callanish

Tursa agus beanntan Ùige.
Tursachan Chalanais.

#Calanais #StandingStoneSunday #Scotland #IsleOfLewis #Hebrides #Gàidhlig #Gaelic

Mastodon has brought some pretty niche hashtags my way and I’m here for it

#StandingStoneSunday #Calanais #Harris #Hebrides

It seems that Sunday just gone was #standingstonesunday - so here are the Tursachan Chalanais (Standing Stones of Callanish) on the Isle of Lewis. #callanish #calanais #isleoflewis #leòdhas #outerhebrides #naheileanansiar #scotland #alba