More Standing Stones - Stornoway, Scotland

The first thing that comes up on many of the sites featuring Stornoway is another ring of standing stones. This one is called the Calanais Standing Stones. They are said to be older than the Pyramids of Gaza.

Stornoway is located in the Outer Hebrides which is another group of islands. I guess I didn't realize that Scotland had so many island groups. The Lewis and Harris Island is the most inhabited but there are more than 50 islands in the chain that are uninhabited.

One of the most popular attractions is Lews Castle which overlooks the harbor. The beginnings of the castle date back to the 1600s. When Sir James Matheson bought the property in 1844, he commissioned a famous architect, Charles Wilson, to build the castle. The castle and grounds stayed in the family until 1917 when they were forced to sell it. In 1923, Lord Leverhulme gifted the property to the community to be used civic purposes. During the war years, the castle became a naval hospital. In 1953, the Castle became a college and continued until 1988 when it reverted to the community once again.

I found some references to wildlife and bird life in the area but I couldn't nail down how we would go about seeing it, at least not on our own. Here is where we might have to rely on the cruise ship's excursions for the area.or just explore on foot the town which according to one website has charming shops and cafes. This port might take a lot more investigating online.