What is Historic Environment Scotland doing at Calanais?

Historic Environment Scotland is applying to reinstate a path and make other alterations at the Calanais Standing Stones to reduce erosion and improve views.

Why are entry fees being introduced at Calanais Standing Stones?

Entry fees are being introduced to help manage the impact of increasing visitor numbers and fund the preservation of the 5,000-year-old Neolithic site.

How old are the Calanais Standing Stones?

The Calanais Standing Stones, located near Stornoway in Lewis, are approximately 5,000 years old.

Home / Environment / Ancient Stones Face Path to Preservation

Ancient Stones Face Path to Preservation

30 Dec, 2025

•

Summary

A path is planned to protect ancient stones from erosion.
Historic Scotland wants to reduce a stone wall's height.
Entry fees will be introduced at the Neolithic site soon.

Ancient Stones Face Path to Preservation

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has submitted a planning application to reintroduce a path around the Calanais Standing Stones, a renowned ancient site on the Isle of Lewis. This initiative aims to mitigate erosion damage, which a 2020 survey indicated was severe at the base of the stones.

The proposed path closely resembles one installed in 1993, though it was later removed. HES also intends to lower a 19th-century boundary wall and remove a timber fence to enhance the visual prominence of the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monuments.

This development follows the recent approval by the Scottish government to implement entry fees at the site for the first time. While specific dates for these charges are pending, local residents will retain free access. Visitor numbers, already exceeding 150,000 in 2019, are projected to reach 200,000 by 2030.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.