Lewis, Loch Seaforth

NB21NE 1 2781 1662

(NB 280 166) The stone circle lies a short distance W of M'Lellan's croft, on a remnant of a raised beach and about 70ft from the high water mark, on the N shore of Loch Seaforth.

There are seven stones visible, set on the circumference of a circle about 54ft in diameter. Two stones, 4ft 3ins and 5ft 6ins high, are free-standing, one has been broken, and the others have been incorporated in walls.

The keeper, who has been on the place more than 50 years, thinks that there were at least 4 large flat stones lying near the centre. A stone, 4 1/2ins thick, built into a recent wall, may be one of them; there is another inside the sheep-pen.

W Thorneycroft 1936.

A stone circle, as described and planned by Thorneycroft, at NB 2781 1662.

Only three stones (A, B and F on plan) appear to be in situ, but despite the secluded situation of the stones there can be little doubt that this is the remains of a stone circle, possibly encircling a chambered cairn, subsequently destroyed.

Surveyed at 1/10,560.

Visited by OS (N K B), 26 June 1969.

Scheduled as Sideval, stone circle.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 17 February 1992.

NB 2783 1663 Callanish 26, prehistoric stone circle. The site of this schedualed monument was planned and a theodolite survey of the horizon was undertaken. The standing stone circle is 16.6m in diameter and seems to have consisted of 10 stones (PSAS 1935, 124-6). The stones are, clockwise: one free-standing in field; three incorporated in field wall, two upright and middle one leaning; one upright in N wall of blackhouse; probably two upright within E wall of blackhouse, indicated by bulges in internal face of wall; two displaced and incorporated in faces of S wall of blackhouse; and one fallen in field.

Partial dismantling, by a person or persons unknown, of the earth and stone banks around three of the stones took place in 2006.

Rabbit activity in the walls of the ruined blackhouse, which incorporates some 50% of the circle and in the surrounding field has produced three pieces of pottery and two worked stone tools (with the finders):

Pottery, 17 x 16 x 8mm thick, patterned

Pottery, c 47 x c 40 x

Pottery, c 32 x c 21 x 12+mm thick, only one face

Quartz secondary flake, 29 x 22 x 9 mm thick

Baked shale secondary flake, 27 x 23 x 9mm thick

There is a circular stone setting, 4m in diameter, of 20 stones on the shore below high water mark, about 30m S of the standing stone circle. There is possibly a second similar setting close by. The stones are up to 0.8m by 0.55m by 0.55m, similar to a setting recorded on the shore at the promontory some 350m to the W.

Callanish 26 is located close (2km) to the Sleeping Beauty hill range across a body of sea water which probably did not exist or was fresh water in prehistoric times. The path of the S extreme moon (major standstill) was hidden by the Sleeping Beauty hills, but the path of the minor standstill moon arched over the Sleeping Beauty hills and set into her 'face', then regleamed at her 'forehead', duplicating the regleam of the S extreme moon at her 'forehead' as seen from the Achmore Stone Circle (Callanish 22). These events occurred about 9 years apart at the two extremes of the 18.61 year cycle. Therefore, although 18km from the circles of standing stones at Callanish, this stone circle should be regarded as a Callanish site. The location of this circle was probably chosen for this precise regleam of the moon.

The brief appearance of the midwinter sun is less precise. At midwinter the view of the path of the sun was limited by the height of the hills. It was visible at the Sleeping Beauty's 'feet' from 164 to 184 degrees azimuth, i.e. for only 80 minutes.

The circle is surrounded by a natural semi-circular 'amphitheatre', the rim of which is about 50/75m from the circle. The amphitheatre probably provided a series of backsight positions from which the moon and sun could have been observed either through the standing stones or over the circle. There are two possible burial or observation mounds recorded in the close vicinity and others in the area, eg Fangs kerb cairn (DES 1995,107).

M R Curtis and G R Curtis 2006.