A powerful primeval presence reigns at Callanish where a circle of beautifully-gnarled stone slabs gather on a low ridge. The sheltered waters of Loch Roag and the hills of Great Bernera are their backdrop.

The site is easily visible from land or sea for miles around (from the north-east its skyline is said to resemble a woman lying down), and it's every bit as impressive close up.

The circle itself consists of just thirteen stones – including a central monolith – to which five lines of stones lead.

This makes for a total of around fifty gneiss rocks and though their function is a mystery (and it's unclear if they have any astrological alignment), the circle seems to have been built around 2750BC. Then, some 1,000 years later, they fell out of use – though not before a tomb was added at their centre.