Moth

Saturday 3 May 2003
The stones are on the left as you arrive on the Bernera side of the bridge from Lewis.

Well, if Margaret and Ron Curtis reckon it’s a circle then I guess it is, but it didn’t feel like one to me!

I suppose it’s because a substantial part of the circle has fallen to the sea and, even more importantly for visualisation of the original site, any embankment has fallen too.

But who cares when it’s in such a beautiful spot and features such beautiful and imposng stones anyway. Well, me actually – it’d be mind-boggling!

I didn’t have a go on the birthing stone….

Saturday 3 May 2003
This is a short drive from Calanais, along the B8011. The circle is visible to the west of the road after about a mile. Plenty of room to park on the verge on the opposite side of the road I think.

The stones stand out uphill from the road and can now be reached by a well looked-after path, newly refurbished when we visited.

Despite being uphill from the road, Ceann Thulabhaig still manages to nestle below the actual hilltop, but commands a wonderful view towards an inlet that lies directly between it and Callanish.

The hilltop once more features a ‘low-key’ equivalent of Cnoc an Tursa.

The stones are real big bouncing beauties, and it is interesting to see much more clearly than at the other ‘big’ sites where the peat has been cut away to expose more of the stones.

Another quite welcoming circle, to me, but I suspect it would change to be quite, wild, dramatic and even forbidding in bad weather (whereas, for example Cnoc Fillibhear Bheag would ‘just’ be inhospitable in bad weather – if you see what I mean).

And it is certainly an excellent place to have a breather in peace and to take stock of your day, week, month, year, life!

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.

Saturday 3 May 2003
Easily visible from the A858 on the left approaching Calanais from Stornoway – just before a cattlegrid. Soon dubbed ‘Philippa’(!) for convenience I’m afraid.

What a place. I first visited before I got my feelings for Callanish itself sorted out. This was no bad thing, as it allowed complete appreciation of this stunning circle and its ‘special features’ – see a23’s fieldnotes for superbly expressed details!

To me, as well as the fascinating ‘phallus & triple goddess’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty‘ phenomena, the most striking thing was how beautifully proportioned the circle, its stones and its setting in the landscape are. To me it also felt particularly ‘open’ and welcoming.

Julian comments in the big papery TMA that Callanish itself can easily overshadow the nearby sites. (I don’t like calling them ‘satellite’ sites or any term that could belittle these wonderful places.) And he’s probably right. But that’s just a crying shame.

Yet to me, at Cnoc Fillibhir Bheag, Callanish does not truly dominate. It’s higher up, bigger and ‘more fancy’, true, but ‘Philippa’ is also raised well above the land between herself and Callanish, with the remains of Cnoc Ceann a’ Ghàrraidh lurking significantly more or less between the 2, on the low-lying moorland that separates them.

For me, the relationship between the 3 is intriguing.

Noteable is that like the other main ‘Callanish’ sites, there is a nearby ‘low-key’ equivalent of Callanish’s Cnoc an Tursa. There is also a very significant looking ‘v’-shaped gap in the hills looking south (in the centre of this picture).

Visited briefly again on Sunday 4 May, mainly to take more photos. Still in love with the place.

Saturday 3 May 2003
Well, where do I start? Probably like many people, with my expectations.

There is an element almost of confession here. This is one reason it has taken me nearly 2 months to write this. It’s now getting on for 4 months since I was actually there.

If you’ve reached here via my weblogs, you’ll know that this was a very special trip for me. Not only had I been longing to see the place for many years, but turmoil in my personal life had added an extra, emotional ‘charge’ that is unusual for me when visiting a site. And it lived up to every expectation. Eventually.

Right up until I turned the corner on the path from the visitors’ centre and saw the stones from anything other than a distance, everything was fine and my expectations were undented.

So, I turned the corner, and… I really can’t say whether it was the view approaching from that direction, or whether it was sheer weight of expectation, but I knew straight away… To my total astonishment, I just didn’t ‘get’ it.

All those years. All those miles… and I was just looking at some more rocks. A lot of rocks. A lot of beautiful rocks. But still ‘just’ a lot of rocks.

I was quietly mortified. I couldn’t even blame crowds – we saw maybe 3 people in the hour or so we spent there before I was happy (almost relieved) to go to Cnoc Fillibhir Bheag and Cnoc Ceann a’ Ghàrraidh.

Of course the setting is beautiful. Of course the place is spectacular. Of course the sheer number and sizes of the stones are massively impressive. Of course the stones are intriguing shapes and colours and textures.

But there was no feeling of inspiration or even reverence that I have felt at a few very special sites. No feeling of ‘homecoming’ or perhaps ‘belonging’ that I have felt at some sites. No real connection, no real understanding.

Sunday 4 May 2003
On my second visit, the following day, it began to dawn on me however – expectation and understanding were the whole problem for me. Before visiting most sites I read a little bit about them in fairly ‘analytical’ Burl (usually) type terms – maybe read a few comments on this website or in the big papery TMA.

With this limited preparation I don’t expect to understand them or connect with them. It’s just not normally an issue. If I do – great. If I don’t – I’ll have enjoyed seeing them anyway.

With Callanish though, there was a whole lot more – an entire chapter in Julian’s book. Various telly progs including Julian’s. And more recently, a couple of other books. I approached the place thinking (subconsciously) that I understood – that I knew what to expect. So when I didn’t I was confused, disappointed and bewildered.

This feeling of realisation increased steadily and luckily it was convenient to revisit regularly over the 3 days and I was able to discover Callanish as I actually see it – not as I expected to see it.

Seeing it with too many expectations was, for me like photos of the complete Callanish I from ground level. They never quite really show it. I’ve seen great pictures of it – there are some good ones on this site and I took some that I’m pleased with, but they still never quite do it.

It’s one of those places where I cannot see how a photographer can capture the full picture. The complexity and sheer number of stones makes it seem confusing in photos, yet makes perfect sense as you walk it on the ground.

Monday 5 May 2003
By my fourth and final visit (for now) I was happy. Right now at 11pm on Monday 18 August 2003, I could happily stand between the northern rows facing the circle and laugh and shout for joy. It’s awesome. Not a word I normally use. Ever.

Friday 2 May 2003
A clava cairn in a beautiful and peaceful setting next to a small stream (or was that just the rain?) not far from a small river.

If you’ve seen Clava Cairns, this is another one – on it’s own. If you haven’t, it’s a chambered cairn with a stone circle round it (11 stones?).

The top of the cairn including the capstone(s) is missing, but most of the chamber sides and rubble construction is in place.

Very nice.

(Nearby is the Mony Stone standing stone at NH372301.)