Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Lewis and Harris (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Callanish II, Clach an Trushal, and Callanish III. Also, be sure to include Steinacleit in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Lewis and Harris (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Callanish II
The Callanish II stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.[1]
Clach an Trushal
Historical landmark in Scotland. Clach an Trushal is said to be the tallest standing stone in Scotland. Above ground it stands approximately 5.8 metres tall, is 1.83 m wide and at its thickest point is 1.5 m thick, with a girth at its base of 4.75 m. The stone is sited in the village of Ballantrushal on the west side of Lewis. Local legend says that it marks the site of a great battle, the last to be fought between the feuding clans of the Macaulays and Morrisons. However it is actually the solitary upright stone remaining from a stone circle built about 5,000 years ago. It occupied a place within the circle, although its placement was not central. The second last standing stone was removed in 1914, and used as a lintel.
From the base the stone circle at Steinacleit archaeological site is clearly visible to the north east. The Callanish standing stones are 20 miles (30 kilometres) southwest.[2]
Callanish III
Historical landmark in Scotland. The Callanish III stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.[3]
Steinacleit
Heritage preservation in Scotland. Steinacleit is a prehistoric archeological site on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
The site consists of an array of boulders which marks what is left of a chambered cairn, and possibly shows the site was overlain by a huge hall. There are ten large stone slabs surrounding the central mound. Folk legend of the Outer Hebrides states there was probably a battlefield near the location. The site is 15 metres (50 feet) in diameter and oval in shape. The age of the site is debatable and according to different sources ranges from 1800–1500 BC or 3000–1500 BC.
The standing stone Clach an Trushal is visible to the south west from the stone circle.[4]
Callanish IV
Historical landmark in Scotland. The Callanish IV stone circle is one of many megalithic structures around the better-known Calanais I on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument and its official name is Sron a'Chail. The site was first surveyed and recorded by RCAHMS in 1914 and again in 2009, with another survey in the 1970s by other archaeologists, but no known archaeological excavations have taken place at the stones.[5]
Tiumpan Head Lighthouse
Lighthouse in Scotland. The Tiumpan Head Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located in Tiumpan Head, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.[6]
Stac Dhòmhnaill Chaim
Stac Dhòmnuill Chaim, or Stac Dhòmhnaill Chaim, or Stac Domhnuill Chaim, is a fortified promontory located near Mangursta on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The stack and its surrounding site is listed and protected as a scheduled monument. The site of the stack is located at grid reference NB00223152. The site is named after Donald Cam Macaulay, the early 17th century hero of the Macaulays of Uig. The site was documented in the late 19th century, but today it is considered inaccessible. In 2003 and 2006, an archaeological team of rock climbers scaled the promontory and documented the site; finding in 2006 a piece of possibly Neolithic pottery.[7]
Dail Mòr
Dail Mòr is a hamlet situated in the Northside of Carloway, a major settlement on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. The hamlet has a beach and a cemetery. A small well kept car park is available for visitors as are picnic & public BBQ facilities. The beach is a known surf destination mentioned in numerous guidebooks. Note there is a strong rip current at the north end of the beach.
Despite its remoteness, five of the six houses in the village were connected to fibre broadband in November 2012.
In August 2016, the Transocean Winner oil rig ran aground, on a headland just off Dalmore beach. The oil rig was being towed from Norway to Malta, when it became detached from the tug boat.[8]
Loch Langavat
Loch in Scotland. Loch Langavat is the name of several freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The name is a Gaelic rendition of Old Norse lang "long" and vatn, meaning "lake".
Most of these lochs are on the island of Lewis and Harris
There is another Loch Langabhat on Benbecula at NF827490, which is over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long.
According to Sinclair (1890), John Macaulay, known as Iain Ruadh MacDhughaill, "was celebrated as a hunter. He was drowned in Loch Langabhat whilst swimming to an Island in the middle of that lake, an t-Eilaln Dubh. A large stone marks the spot on which his body was laid after it was taken out of the water. His bereaved mother used to visit this spot on almost every Wednesday of the year. He was born about the year 1600." It is not clear which of the Loch Langavats this incident refers to.[9]
Abhainn Dearg distillery
Abhainn Dearg or Red River Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Uig, on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. It is the most westerly distillery in Scotland. The name is Scottish Gaelic for "Red River" which itself takes its name from a bloody skirmish in the dark ages when local people won a battle against Viking marauders.[10]
Address: Carnish, HS2 9EX, Lewis and Harris
Bragar Whalebone
Memorial
Address: Garath Ur, Lewis and Harris