Awsome megalights in Britain

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There are a lot of things that one can clearly associate with the United Kingdom: afternoon tea, two storey buses, fish and chips, dry humour, and not least, Stone Henge and other lesser known but equally awsome megaliths. No comprehensive visit to the UK is complete without seeing at least some of these stone giants.

Megaliths are deeply rooted in the history of the islands, and while they are a Celtic heritage shared with other European countries from Portugal to Germany, Britain i home to the the biggest and most impressive ones. So let your imagination run wild and go back to the ages of druids and mystics by visiting these awsome megaliths.

Stonehenge, Wiltshire

It goes without saying that visiting Stonehenge is a must. It might have become a bit of a cliche, one of those attractions that every tourist wants to see, but that doesn’t change that fact that Stonehenge is one of the most impressive things you’ll see in your life.

In addition to seeing the 162 gigantic stones, you can also see the Heel Stone, a big chunk of stone which, according to folktales, was brought to Salisbury by the Devil himself.

Castlerigg stone circle, Cumbria

Almost as visually impressive as Stonehenge, the Castlerigg stones are the most poplar attraction in Cumbria. Archaeologiest are still not sure about the purpose of the circle, but rumours are that it was a meeting place to stone axe-traders during the Neolithic – not as prosaic as it sounds, since these trades were accompanied by rituals as well. The official number of stones in the circle is 40, but according to tradition, each time you count the stones you will get a different number.

Long Meg and her daughters, Cumbria

If you are already in Cumbria, don’t miss another very interesting megalith formation, just as interesting as Castlerigg, and even more deeply rooted in legends and folklore. The circle consists o 51 stones still standing out of the original 70, with Long Meg, a 3,6 m monolith keeping watch over them.

Local lore says that the stones used to be a coven of witches turned to stone, and if you manage to count the stones twice and get the same number, the spell will be broken. If you’re superstitious and you’d rather not risk having some witches out for your blood, you can attempt walking around the circle and then putting your ear to Long Meg – and you’ll supposedly hear her whispers.

Callanish Stones, Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides are a gold mine for megalith fans, and there are lots of other megalithic sites in the area. Callanish I consists of 13 large stones set in a circle with a diameter of 13 meters, surrounded by several avenues in a shape resembling a Celtic cross.

Some of the stones are as tall as 5 meters, and local legends say that they used to be giants, but archeologists might dispute this theory by saying that the stones were merely a moon calendar.

Ring of Brodgar, Mainland, Orkney Islands

bThe Ring of Brodgar is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles, and consists of 27 stones (out of the initial 60) standing within a circular ditch.

The structure is definitely impressive on its own, but its attraction is heightened by the surrounding scenery, the isthmus between Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray.

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Comments on Awsome megalights in Britain

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mugib ahmed wrote on January 24, 2013:

I Love Ancient Historical Images. Thanks Google

erato wrote on February 1, 2013:

Google is nice enough, but I believe the people/tourists/ photographers are the ones to be grateful to – in this case.

 

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