The Western Isles – Or There And Back Again VIII

By Bernie Bell

Circles of Stones

We then went on to Barpa Langais, which, to me, looks very like the cairn known as Queen Maeve’s Grave on Knocknarea in County Sligo……………Ireland/Scotland Neolithic connection again?.

Barpa Langais Lewis B Bell

curvaceous lady gate Lewis B BellFor some reason, the path to the cairn begins with a curvaceous hunter-gatherer lady on the gate!

And then to Pobull Fhinn (Finn’s People) stone circle.  A place of peace.  There was a strong wind blowing, but it still had a stillness about it.

We walked through what I believe to be the entrance.

Mike wandered about, connecting with the stones, but I found that I was happy to just stand in the centre, looking towards the mountain.

stone circle Lewis B Bell

I was happy.

We then walked back to the car, which we had parked, carefully, at a track junction just down the track from the Langais Lodge Hotel, as a sign said that parking there was for customers only. What you don’t realise, until you see the information boards at  Langais Lodge is, that it is possible to do a circular walk, from the car park at Barpa Langais, with its giant axes, pointing the way……….

giant axes Lewis B Bell

Up to the cairn, then, turning to your right,  round, over the hill,  to Pobull Fhinn, then back down past  Langass Lodge, and along the road to the Barpa Langais car park again, thereby completing a circuit, which would be groovy.

This is  one of a series of articles from Bernie Bell about her trip to the Western Isles. Use the Orkney News search facility to find others.


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