The Hill o' Many Stanes in Caithness, Scotland

Scottish Standing Stones a Megalithic Lunar Observatory?

Aug 12, 2009

The Hill o' Many Stanes in Caithness in the far north of Scotland is an ancient monument of low standing stones thought to have been set up some 4,000 years ago.

The Hill o' Many Stanes lies approximately three miles (five km) north of Lybster and nine miles (13 km) south of Wick on the northernmost stretch of Scotland's east coast, just off the main A99 (A9) road. A signpost in the typically scattered township of Mid Clyth leads a few hundred yards up a narrow unclassified road, where a second sign indicates the location of this ancient site.

A kissing gate gives access to a well-defined and short path through a tangle of fragrant yellow whin bushes, wild raspberries and bell heather. This quickly arrives at the stones, spreading out down the hill in front of the visitor.

What is the Hill o' Many Stanes?

Slightly less than 200 stones are arranged in 22 rows and a fan-shaped pattern. Evidence suggests there may originally have been 600 stones. Many of Scotland's abundance of standing stones and stone circles are impressively tall. The stones of Mid Clyth are not, most protruding only around 18 inches (45 cm) from the rough heather-covered ground in which they sit. Despite that, this megalithic monument is an attractive and atmospheric place.

The stone rows occupy a south-facing hill overlooking fertile farmland, moorland and the wide expanse of the Moray Firth. Only 15 miles (25 km) out to sea are the twin platforms and associated wind turbine of the Beatrice oilfield. On a fine day the hills of Banffshire, 50 miles (80 km) away to the south, are clearly visible.

Who Raised the Ancient Stone Rows of Mid Clyth and Why?

They left no written record but it is believed that the Bronze Age people who toiled to arrange such a precise pattern of stone rows in around 1900 BC were settled farmers. The most popular theories as to why they did so are that these low standing stones served a religious or ceremonial purpose and/or were used as a lunar or solar observatory, helping these farmers predict the seasons, establish their calendar, and thus, among other things, know the best time to sew their crops.

Local tradition has it that each stone marks the grave of a warrior slain in a battle between two warring local clans, the Keiths and the Gunns. Sadly for this colourful story, the 500-year-old feud between these two old enemies began three milennia after the stones rows were set out on the Hill o' Many Stanes.

Although rows of standing stones are found at Carnac in Brittany, those are much taller than the Mid Clyth stones. There are other stone rows in Caithness and Sutherland although the Hill o' Many Stanes in the best preserved. In Britain, such sites are unique to this area of northern Scotland.

Was the Hill o' Many Stanes a Megalithic Lunar Observatory?

This popular theory is largely based on extensive observation by Alexander Thom, professor of Engineering at Oxford University and dedicated scholar and surveyor of standing stones and stone rows in Scotland and Carnac from the 1950s to the 1970s, assisted by his son, Archibald S Thom. Professor Thom also came up with the theory of the megalithic yard, arguing that the stone rows of the Hill o' Many Stanes had been set up according to precise measurements worked out by the prehistoric inhabitants of this part of Scotland. He also studied, surveyed and wrote about other megalithic sites in Britain and France, including Stonehenge.

Although many archaeologists, then and now, have been reluctant to accept Professor Thom's theories, nobody to date has offered a convincing and cogently-argued alternative to explain the purpose of the stone rows of the Hill o' Many Stanes. Historic Scotland, which now cares for this ancient and mysterious place, continues to acknowledge as a possibility that these remarkable stone rows may have been a lunar or solar observatory.

For more information on the Hill o' Many Stanes and other ancient sites in Scotland, visit the Historic Scotland website.

Information and photographs of the Hill o' Many Stanes can also be found on the website of the

The copyright of the article The Hill o' Many Stanes in Caithness, Scotland in Scotland Travel is owned by Maggie Craig. Permission to republish The Hill o' Many Stanes in Caithness, Scotland in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.