Stones in Scotland. Jacob's Stone Pillow: the story of the legendary stone on which Scottish monarchs were crowned. A clear relationship was found
Callanish is formed by thirteen vertically standing monuments or groups of stones that form circles up to thirteen meters in diameter. The average height of the stones is 4 meters, but can vary between 1-5 meters. The stones are cut from local gneiss. By popularity Callanish stones can rival Stonehenge.
The interpretation of this ancient construction is still controversial, but most likely we are dealing with a giant lunar calendar. The moon passes through the southernmost point of the sky once every eighteen and a half years, and if you observe it from this place, you may get the impression that it is moving parallel to the horizon, almost touching the earth. That is why Callanish is closely connected with the surrounding landscape - stones as if they were growing out of the ground on their own.
Quartz veins in stones They are well warmed up by the sun and then emit soft energy and warmth. The stones that stand outside the circle are laid out in a shape similar to Celtic cross, and its ends point to the cardinal directions. It is difficult to determine exactly what rituals were performed here in Callanish, but the area continues to attract tourists from all over the world.
In the Bronze Age, according to scientists, the sanctuary, which was located in this area, was plundered and sown with grain. From about 800 BC. Callanish gradually turned into a peat bog, which by the mid-19th century covered the stones with an almost one and a half meter layer of peat.
The territory of Scotland is completely dotted with ancient stone circles. These stones are rightfully considered one of the most ancient archaeological mysteries. Countless theories have been put forward to explain their origins. We will tell you about one interesting version.
Megaliths in Scotland appeared with the beginning of the Neolithic era
These ancient stone circles come in a variety of shapes, but most often stand in an upright position. Probably, once their shape was different, but strong winds and time cut off the sharp corners. The most ancient megaliths have their own names. They can easily be counted among Scottish attractions. One of them is Stenness, located on the Orkney Islands, and the other, Callanish, is located on the Isle of Lewis. In ordinary Scottish settlements there are still many such attractions, although they are smaller in size.
Some stones weigh up to 10 tons
What did the people who inhabited this area several thousand years ago try to build? The mystery of archeology can be solved by a group of modern scientists who have studied in detail the occupations of people in the Neolithic era. Some stones are so gigantic that transporting them from place to place could be fraught with enormous difficulties. But five thousand years ago people entered the Neolithic, or Stone Age.
The nomadic lifestyle gave way to a sedentary one
Communities could already afford a sedentary lifestyle, as well as the use of stone tools and the development of agricultural land. These changes brought new traditions. For example, now it was necessary to think about how to bury the dead and how to preserve the memory of those who had passed on to another world. Thus, with the beginning of the Neolithic era, tombs, tombs, pyramids and other places for commemorating the dead began to appear everywhere. Historians are confident that in Scotland this function was performed by megaliths. However, why are they all so gigantic and bizarre? 
Astronomical background
Five thousand years ago, people were already seriously interested in astronomy. Observing the location of the Sun, Moon and other celestial bodies helped to navigate when traveling. The hypothesis that stone memorials were built taking into account the knowledge of ancient people about astronomy is not new. Just look at the correctly calibrated geometric drawings, if you look at the structures from a bird's eye view. And it doesn’t matter at all that the boulders themselves had different shapes; the distance between them was maintained with precise accuracy. Scientists have also found an explanation for the gigantic size of the tall boulders. Having climbed to the top, people had the opportunity to use an excellent observation deck, or, as we would say now, an observatory. 
When points of view coincide
It is worth noting that the idea of building megaliths for observing the stars is not new. This hypothesis was put forward by Alexander Tom after 30 years of painstaking research. The scientist introduced the results of his work to the public in 1955. For more than half a century, the scientific community was rather lukewarm about this theory. And only in 2016 did Alexander Tom find followers.
A clear relationship was found
A clear relationship has been found between the construction of stone slabs and astronomical events. It is striking that the horizon line visible through these structures had only two different outlines. The Sun and Moon in this relief are located in a strictly designated place. This means that the area for placing the boulders was chosen taking into account the extreme points of sunrise and sunset of these celestial bodies. Probably, the tradition of erecting megaliths in this way goes back to the famous Stenness and Callanish. In this way, people could designate an area that could perfectly represent the perception of the universe. 
New controversies
Opponents of this hypothesis insist that we cannot attribute to our ancestors modern human knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. There is no documentary evidence that five thousand years ago people were as advanced in the exact sciences. This means that everything again comes down to the ritual nature of the construction of stone boulders. It seems that debate about the purpose of megaliths is heating up with renewed vigor.
The intoxicating idea of being transported through time by touching the mysterious standing stones of Craigh na Dun runs like a thread through the heart of the much-loved show Outlander. But those who plan to try to fly through time like Claire in the hope of catching up with Jamie are in for bad news and a serious problem - the stones of Craig na Dun don't actually exist.
Yes, unfortunately, the standing stones on windswept Rannoch Moor are being erected only for the filming of Outlander. But don’t despair - I have traveled the length and breadth of Scotland and during my travels I have discovered about a dozen places where there are real standing stones, which are even better than the stones of Craig na Dun, because they are real. And now I will introduce you to the six most interesting places.
Callanisha
We travel to the remote Hebrides where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid out after the Battle of Culloden before fleeing to France. There is an impressive stone circle here that is 5 thousand years old! Embracing such ancient stones, it is easy to imagine yourself being transported through time. You just have to close your eyes and you will feel like you are part of this place. It also has stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar consists of 36 stones - about half of what once stood here - and there are about a dozen burial mounds and a stone ditch surrounding the ring. These stones are part of the very heart of the Neolithic in Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scottish geologist Hugh Miller described this place in 1846: “A collection of ancient Druids, mysteriously stern and irresistibly quiet and shaggy.” This place is incredibly romantic. If you're an Outlander fan, you'll love this.
Cairnpapple Hill
I was born and raised near this evocative prehistoric site, so I have a special attachment to it. If you make an Outlander pilgrimage to Linlithgow Palace, Castle of Darkness and Hopetoun House, you can easily visit this place, which by the way is over 4 thousand years old - older than the Bronze Age! You can wander around the remains of the circle and visit the burial pyramid on top of the hill, which has fantastic views! You will see bridges, Edinburgh, and far to the west Gotfell Peak on the Isle of Arran. Standing on the hill, you can easily imagine Jamie and Claire embracing each other in a life-affirming embrace.
Kilmartin
This ancient energy base of the Celtic kings of Dalriada can be disconcerting in its historical richness. There are burial cairns and a castle, standing stones and circles scattered throughout the valley, which is literally steeped in history. It's hard not to feel like you've been transported through centuries, and it probably takes half a day to get around everything. There are over 300 different sites scattered across the area 6 miles from the tiny village of Kilmartin, making it the most comprehensive Neolithic and Bronze Age site in the area of Scotland. If I were a producer on Outlander, I'd look at filming a few scenes here.
The Twelve Apostles
Even many Scots have not heard of this wonderful place, since it is not part of the National Trust for Scotland. But it certainly deserves its place on this list, as it is the largest stone circle on mainland Scotland. Local legend says that the stones here were erected by the twelve Apostles, hence the name. But there are currently only eleven stones out of a dozen, one simply mysteriously disappeared between 1789 and 1837. Could this be the work of Jamie Fraser or Black Jack Randall? The southern location of this site appears to be related to the stone circles in Cumbria, England, which resulted in the unification of England and Scotland, as did Jamie and Claire.
Arran
Okay, I'm lying a little here, but I think you'll forgive me when I take you "Over the Sea" on a ferry to Scotland's seventh largest island, the glorious Isle of Arran. Arran is home to many standing stones. The most famous are on the windswept Machie moor, and you'll be amazed to be almost invisible against the backdrop of these ancient stones, with the hilltops of Arran glaring at you in the distance.
The much less visited Auchagallon stone circle is nearby, and there are also stone circles and standing stones scattered around this island. You can find them in designated areas either right by the side of the road or - as in the case of Old Byre - standing proudly outside a cafe.
So, all you have to do is choose which standing stones to go to, and who knows, maybe you will be lucky enough to travel back in time.
Megaliths are ancient structures made of huge stone blocks created by people. Nowadays, many such buildings have already been found all over the world, but their true origin and purpose still remains a mystery to scientists.
Scottish Stonehenge
Scottish Stonehenge, or Callenish as it is also called, is located on the Isle of Lewis, which is part of the Outer Hebrides. It is located in a deserted, gloomy place near the town of Stornoway. Callenish is a cromlech of thirteen huge stones installed vertically. Twelve of them form a ring, in the middle of which there is a stone pyramid. Around this structure there is an alley and other stones that may have previously formed concentric circles.
Scientists who studied this architectural monument believe that it is an ancient observatory, where our ancestors monitored the position of celestial bodies. By the location of these stones, they could determine the days of lunar and solar eclipses, and on the days of the summer and winter solstice, various rituals were performed here. Kallenish could also serve as a kind of calendar by which our ancestors calculated time.
Standing Stones of Stenness
The standing stones of Stenness are located in the Orkney Islands near Lake Harrey on a flat platform whose diameter is forty-four meters. They are twelve huge stone slabs up to five meters high and thirty centimeters thick, installed vertically in the form of a ring with a diameter of about thirty-two meters. In the center of this circle there is a monolithic slab. The entrance to the circle faces the ancient village of Barnhouse. Outside the circle there is another stone, which scientists assume is a viewing stone. Around the stones there is a ditch seven meters wide and two meters deep. The age of this structure dates back to 3000 BC. This majestic spectacle still looks mystical.
According to scientists, the Standing Stones of Stenness could be a temple of the sun or a so-called ancient observatory in which people observed the movement of celestial bodies. The stone slab in the center of the circle, apparently, played the role of an altar for sacrifices that were carried out on the days of the summer and winter solstices. This conclusion was made after burnt animal bones were found at this site.
Ring of Brodgar
The Ring of Brodgar is located on the Isle of Mainland, the largest of the islands in the Orkney archipelago. It is located on a narrow strip of land connecting the two lakes Harrey and Stennes. The Ring of Brodgar is a circle with a diameter of one hundred and four meters of vertically standing stones, ranging from two to five meters in height. This is one of the largest stone circles in the UK. Scientists suggest that there were at least sixty stones in total, but only twenty-seven of them have survived to this day. The stones are surrounded by a moat nine meters wide and three and a half meters deep; two passages were made to them.
Some suggest that the Ring of Brodgar, together with the Standing Stones of Stenness, form the so-called Orkney complex. In this case, the Ring of Brodgar should play the role of the Temple of the Moon. Based on the location of the stones, the position of the moon was determined and the lunar calendar was calculated. The Ring of Brodgar has been little studied, but research is still underway. Scientists managed to find out the position of forty of them, and also put forward several hypotheses about their origin and purpose.
Maeshowe Tomb
Maeshowe's tomb is located in Orkney near the Standing Stones of Stenness. This is a corridor-type tomb and burial cairn, perfectly preserved to this day, which has no analogues anywhere in the world. The Meishau tomb is a mound, inside which hides a whole system of corridors and rooms formed by processed slabs of mica sandstone. The mass of one such slab reaches thirty tons. The tomb is built in such a way that its central chamber is illuminated on the day of the winter solstice. This principle was also used in the construction of other similar tombs.
Despite the fact that the tomb itself is a unique monument of ancient archeology, unfortunately, it has not preserved any important artifacts or finds to this day. This happened because in the twelfth century the tomb was plundered by the Vikings, but they left behind runic records that are interesting to historians. In addition, careless archaeologists who were initially engaged in excavations destroyed the roof of the tomb.
The Stone of Scone is one of the sacred relics of Scotland; Scottish kings and, probably, even the kings of Dalriada, the ancient kingdom of Scotland, were crowned on it for many centuries. According to legend, this mysterious stone has a unique gift: it is able to distinguish a true monarch from a false pretender to the throne (if this happens, the stone will split, making a terrible sound). For a long time, the Stone of Destiny was kept in Westminster Abbey (in 1296, King Edward I of England ordered it to be brought from Scotland). In 1328, the Treaty of Northampton was concluded between England and Scotland, a peace treaty, according to one of the clauses of which the Stone of Destiny was to be returned to Scotland. However, he was destined to remain in England for another six centuries, and only in 1996 was he returned back to Scotland, where he remains to this day, in Edinburgh Castle...The Stone of Destiny is a large block of sandstone with metal hooks weighing 152 kg. It is also often called Jacob's Pillow, Scone Stone or Coronation Stone according to existing legends about it... One of the legends is more than 3000 years old. Tradition says that Pharaoh Ramesses II had a daughter named Scota. After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, the princess left Egypt and wandered around the Middle East for more than a thousand years in search of her own promised land, reaching Spain and heading to Ireland. Having reached the northern coast of Ireland, she finally found what she had been striving for for so long - the lands later called Scotland (the name of the country, which in the original sounds like Scotland, came from the name of Scotia). Scott brought with her a large piece of sandstone, this was the Stone of Destiny.
.
According to another legend, it was this stone that the progenitor of the Israeli people, Jacob, put under his head instead of a pillow and saw in a dream a ladder that reached heaven, along which angels ascended and descended, and then he saw God himself, who appeared to him and predicted: “From you will come a people through whom I will reveal myself to the world. I will bless and multiply you and return you to your land
"(I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the quote). According to another legend, the Stone of Destiny belonged to Gatela (and not Scota), who, fleeing the plague, took it from Syria to Egypt, and then, on the advice of Moses, headed with his wife and the Stone to Spain and finally sent the Stone of Destiny to that region Ireland, which then passed to Scotland. And finally, another legend claims that the Stone of Destiny served as an altar during the missionary travels of St. Columba. In 847, King Kenneth I of Scotland placed the Stone in Scone Castle. And since then, the kings of Scotland have sat on this stone during the coronation ceremony. In 1296, King Edward I captured the Stone of Destiny among other spoils of war and transported it to Westminster Abbey. However, it is not known for certain whether Edward captured the real stone or a fake, since it is believed that the monks of Scone drowned the real Stone of Destiny in the River Tay or buried it on Dunsinane Hill. In addition, rumors arose from time to time that the real Stone of Destiny was among the Templar treasures. But all this is guesswork... The Stone of Destiny was placed under the seat of the wooden throne ("St Edward's Chair") in Westminster Abbey, on which all English monarchs were crowned. Under the seat of the throne there was a special recess for the Stone of Destiny, for which the throne was slightly raised - it was supported by four gilded lions.
.
Since then, all English kings have sat on this throne with a stone built into it during their coronation. Including the living Queen Elizabeth II, in whose veins flows the blood of the most ancient Scottish rulers, she observed this custom during her coronation in 1953... By the way, at Her initiative, historical justice was restored in 1996 - the Stone of Destiny returned back to Scotland . However, it was agreed that the British would borrow the stone for the duration of the coronations...
.
So, on St. Andrew's Day, November 30, 1996, the Stone of Destiny returned to Scotland and was placed next to the Scottish Crown Jewels in Edinburgh Castle. On this memorable day for all of Scotland, about 10 thousand people lined up along the Royal Mile in order to see with their own eyes the procession of clergy and soldiers accompanying the Stone of Destiny. True, before this moment in the history of the legendary stone in every sense, there was another turn... In the early morning of December 25 (Christmas Day), 1950, four Scottish students from the University of Glasgow broke into Westminster Abbey and stole the Stone. Later they had to return the stone to the police, but experts believe that they could have replaced it, passing it off as a fake. So there is a possibility that the stone currently kept in Edinburgh Castle is a counterfeit of the Westminster Stone, which was a counterfeit of the original Stone of Destiny. ;) This is such a straight detective story!
Sources used: