Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

Also known as:
Callanish II, Knock Caenn a Gharie and Loch Roag
Nearest town:
Stornoway (20km ENE)
OS reference:
NB222326
OS sheets:
8, 13
Latitude:
58° 11' 40.91 N
Longitude:
6° 43' 41.9 W

Images

Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Nucleus

Love that structure of the right stone, typical for a lot of stones used at Callanish sites. Callanish I can be seen between the two stones
Visited 25th May 2015

Image credit: Uwe Häberle 05/2015
Nucleus
Nucleus Dec 22, 2019
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Nucleus

Zoom shot from Callanish II (Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh) to Callanish I
Visited 25th May 2015

Image credit: Uwe Häberle 05/2015
Nucleus
Nucleus Dec 22, 2019
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by carol27

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh with Callanish in background. May 2017

Image credit: Carol27
C
carol27 May 17, 2017
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by postman

Remnants of a cairn survive in the middle of Gary, a bit like Callanish.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Aug 12, 2016
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by postman

Main Callanish stones right behind furthest right hand stone.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Aug 12, 2016
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by postman

looking back on Gary from up near Phillippa

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Aug 12, 2016
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Not the best of conditions, but seeing the Tursachan upon the ridge is seriously evocative......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 9, 2010
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Vicster

The stones on Lewis are so thin you wonder how they have survived the years.

Vicster
Vicster Nov 8, 2006
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Vicster

This stone reminds me of one of those foam pointing hands you get at baseball games!

Vicster
Vicster Nov 8, 2006
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Moth

From Callanish (with big lens). Slightly right of centre

Image credit: Tim Clark
Moth
Moth Aug 29, 2003
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Moth

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (slightly below and left of centre) and Callanish (far right horizon) from Cnoc Fhillibhear Bheag. Will try to get better scan!

Image credit: Tim Clark
Moth
Moth Aug 29, 2003
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by habibi

3rd July 2003ce

Note Calanais in far distance on the right

Image credit: Tony Stuart
habibi
habibi Jul 8, 2003
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Kammer

Taken July 1995: This stone looks like a prehistoric guitar! I don’t know whether it looked like this when it was erected, or whether it has been damaged since.

You can just make out the moon, which is very appropriate.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Feb 7, 2003
Image of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh (Stone Circle) by Kammer

Taken July 1995: This triangular stone really struck me. I’ve not seen anything quite like it anywhere else.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Feb 7, 2003

Articles

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

postman
postman Aug 12, 2016

I have been going with the Moth nomenclature for years for these two stone circles, this one, the more incomplete of the two is called Gary. Say hello Gary.
Parking as Carl says is ample, by the most haunted house this side of Garynahine, as we approached the circle a walker packed up his things and walked away in the direction of the stones, and we had the place to ourselves.
Two stones are down and ripe for re-standing, five tall stones stand taller than me, each with it’s own unique exaggerated shape, they are Lewisian Gneiss, up to 3 billion years old, and the most beautiful rock in Britain.
There is indeed a cairn in the middle, well actually it’s off center, Burl says, 28ft across, it’s stones contained a cavity 6ft wide ‘shaped like a large round bodied bottle with a short neck’, near the cairn lay a stone 7 ft long with probably natural incisions upon it, but the stone has gone now, reputedly to Lews castle in Stornoway.
Looking across to Callanish from here the stones look like they are on top of a Grand Carnac tumulus, imagine Tumulus de St Michel with a shed load of stones on it, well it looks a bit like that. About Callanish, Burl again.... It is noteworthy that there is hardly any native architecture in either the circle or the tomb. Outside influences are probable, makes you think.
A couple hundred yards and very visible on it’s higher than here ridge is another stone circle, a circle named Philippa, which i’m fine with as thats my daughters name.

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

C
CARL Jul 2, 2012

Visited 30.5.12

One of the great things about visiting the Western Isles is the fact that it stays light so late in the evening. This meant that once Karen and the children had been settled in the B+B I was able to nip out for a bit more ‘old stoning’.

It was just a 5 minute drive from the B+B to the minor road (sign posted) leading to the stone circle. Parking is easy enough at the end of the road; next to a derelict farmhouse. A short walk across a field of highland cows and I was there.

As with virtually every site I had visited so far I had the place to myself. This really is a great place to visit. There are 5 standing stones and 2 large fallen stones. The stones are of various shape and size – triangular, square and curved. Is there a cairn in the centre of the circle?

There are fab views with Callanish visible away in the distance in one direction and ‘sleeping beauty’ prominent in another.

I am writing these notes sat on one of the fallen stones; enjoying the stones and the scenery – this is what it is all about!

A ‘must see’ site when visiting Callanish.

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

Vicster
Vicster Nov 8, 2006

My second visit to this site in 3 years and the most striking difference is that the landscape in November is even more extreme. The peatland is now a glorious rust colour and the hills are covered in low cloud. This time I did the walk between the 3 sites alone and it felt exhilirating. I saw no one else the whole time and other than wondering whether I was about to be consumed by a peat bog at one piont, the whole experience was spine tingling.

I stood at the stones and kept looking around me, surrounded by the stones of Callanish on all sides and with Cailleach na Mointeach on the horizon; it really is the most incredible of places.

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

Chris
Chris Sep 29, 2006

Anywhere else in Britain this site would be surrounded in fanfare and hordes of people, but its closeness to the main site mean many people do not come here at all. This is a shame, as it has its own features, each stone has unique patterns within the quartz, and although many standing stones were worked & shaped there is nothing so striking as the triangular stone shown here. The main site of Callanish is visible on the horizon, and to the rear a path leads you to yet another impressive circle, Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag.

Visited July 2001

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

Hob
Hob Jan 22, 2006

I’ll echo TomBo’s comments below about memory overlap. I lost track of which of these circles was which, and after 6 months I’m left with a sense of jaggedy swirly silhouetted shapes that makes me sigh contentedly to recall.

I will also heartily endorse the Clarkian nomenclature for those unable to pronounce the proper names. ‘Gary’ is so much nicer than a soul-less roman numeral.

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

Moth
Moth Aug 29, 2003

Saturday 3 May 2003
Known by us as ‘Gary’(!!) I’m afraid. Easily visible between Callanish and Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag (’Philippa’). Best approached from ‘Philippa’ (Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag) or via a lane from the main road at NB222330.

Another stunner! It’s something I know all us ‘stones’ people think from time-to-time, but I’m going to say it here – please forgive me: “I’d love to have seen this circle when it was complete”.

Rarely have I felt it so strongly, almost desperately. This must have been an incredible place, lying between 2 other incredible places (Callanish itself and Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag).

Nowadays the remains of the circle are reduced, for more casual viewers at least, to a ‘side attraction’ and are undeniably overshadowed by both these other sites. Yet much more than a trace of majesty remains in these strikingly-shaped stones that still stand, and my feeling is that it was once not so easily dominated.

Nearby is a small outcrop, in common with the other ‘main’ Callanish sites, echoing the Cnoc an Tursa at Callanish itself.

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

notjamesbond
notjamesbond Jul 1, 2003

We wandered first to (the impossible to pronounce Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag). The ground was marshy and the rain had started to pour down. Not that we were too bothered; to wander round all the Callanish circles had been another main point to the trip.

A path links Cnoc to another circle a couple of hundred metres away known as Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh. A place with an equally long and difficult name and which boasts quite a cool triangular stone which we took the opportunity to shelter behind whilst the wind threatened to blow us into the bog. Callanish could be seen in the distance its stones like needles sticking up from the ground

Miscellaneous

Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh
Stone Circle
Kammer
Kammer Jul 5, 2005

If you’re planning on visiting Stournaway (and most people do) why not visit the mysterious Stone 10 that once made up part of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh.

Incidentally, according to Margaret Ponting the name Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh is pronounced ‘kroc kyain a gaa-ree’.

Topics

Cnoc Ceann A Gearraidh-na-hine 2
matt
matt
Jun 2007

Sites within 20km of Cnoc Ceann a’Gharraidh

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