Calanais Standing Stones Consultation – Improving community, economic and conservation benefits

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) undertook a 3-month consultation to seek views on the principle of charging and potential changes to access at Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, which is a Property in Care of the Scottish Ministers.

The consultation focused on potential changes to access and charging at Calanais Standing Stones, by working towards a joint visitor experience arrangement with UnT, to achieve an  improved range of community, economic and conservation benefits.

Proposals set out that under any new joint arrangement admission revenue would be split in three ways, with a share to: Urras nan Tursachan (UnT), towards the improved visitor experience at the visitor centre; HES, to go towards ongoing conservation and improvements at the Calanais Standing Stones and other HES sites in the Outer Hebrides; and creation of a new Fund for Heritage, which would support local and broader community-led heritage projects in the Outer Hebrides.

In preparation of this consultation, HES joined with UnT to hold two drop-in consultation sessions in May 2024. Over 65 people attended the public sessions held on Lewis and the views expressed at these events helped inform the focus of the consultation. Many of these themes were echoed in the subsequent submissions to the online survey. The consultation ran for 12 weeks on the CitizenSpace portal, from 8 August 2024 until 31 October 2024, in both English and Gaelic. It was also publicised in various media, including press releases, social media posts and two webinars. Information was also shared with key stakeholders.

The online consultation sought views on a variety of questions including how individuals and groups currently interact with and use the Stones, current issues and priorities for Calanais Standing Stones, and the improvements and benefits the Stones could support in future, as well as general comments on the proposals and the development of HES’s work in the Outer Hebrides.

A total of 425 responses were received to the consultation of which 46% have a postcode in the Outer Hebrides. Three of the responses were in Gaelic and the remainder in English. Eleven organisations submitted a response, including four private businesses, three charities, and two community groups. 

Generally, respondents were most likely to visit the Stones several times a year. All but 21 respondents reported also visiting, or having visited, other historic sites in the area. Dun Carloway, Calanais 2 (Cnoc Ceann a’ Ghàrraidh) and Gearannan Blackhouse Village were the most frequently referenced. Respondents were most likely to say that their usual reason for visiting the Stones is that they live locally, followed by having a personal interest in the history of Calanais Standing Stones. Visiting as part of a holiday or for religious or spiritual reasons were also frequently chosen options.

The key areas identified to inform the proposal were access to the Stones, charging arrangements and conservation of the Stones.

Charging arrangements and access  

Irrespective of whether broadly supportive or unsupportive of the proposals, respondents raised similar issues or concerns about the specifics of any new access arrangements that might be put in place. These included comments on free access for locals, out of hours access and specific dates for access, the level of charge for entrance and alternative proposals for arrangements.

 Conservation of the Stones

Respondents also highlighted several issues that were important to them, both in relation to the Stones themselves and how visitor numbers affected the local community. There were concerns around a potential change of atmosphere at the Stones, increased commercialisation of the site and the impact of tourism, specifically in terms of how tour groups are managed.  This was acknowledged as a motivation for charging or improving visitor management.

A small number of respondents said that they did not think any changes/measures are required and others saw conservation measures as an important consideration in the future. Specific suggestions tended to relate to stopping visitors damaging the Stones and to ensuring the necessary upkeep of paths to and on the site.

Some respondents noted explicitly that it will be important to secure the necessary resources to carry out any conservation/preservation measures needed and to ensure the general upkeep of the Stones and its immediate environs. For some, this was a reason for agreeing that charging (of some kind) may be reasonable or necessary, and this was sometimes caveated that any monies must be spent on the site.

We are grateful to everyone for their time and considered responses to our consultation. The feedback provided on access, charging, and conservation will help shape recommendations for the future arrangements at Calanais Standing Stones.

We acknowledge concerns around conservation of the Calanais Standing Stones and our approach will seek to sensitively balance the management and conservation needs with community benefit, diverse access requirements, and enhancing the role of the Stones as a leading attraction in the Outer Hebrides.

The consultation feedback will inform recommendations regarding the site’s management, and we will work closely with Scottish Ministers and UnT to come to decisions on the principle of charging and potential changes to access at Calanais Standing Stones. We will continue to inform stakeholders on the progress and direction of these proposals when there are updates to share.