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 following is a summary of the key issues raised by respondents:

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:

• Free for locals: The most frequently raised issue was that, if charging is introduced, locals must be exempt. Some of those offering their support made it conditional on local people not having to pay to visit the Stones. In terms of how that free local access should be defined, the most frequently identified geographies were residents of the Isle of Lewis, followed by residents of the Outer Hebrides and then residents of Lewis and Harris.
• Free for everyone: Others were clear that no charges should be introduced. Again, this was raised both by those who were unsupportive of the proposed approach, but also by some who had given their support.
• Level of any charge: Another frequently made point was that if there is to be a charge it must be set at a realistic and affordable level, albeit respondents tended to not provide further detail.
• Unrestricted access hours: The other frequently raised theme was that people wanted to be able to access the Calanais Standing Stones at any time; this was sometimes linked to preferring to visit the Calanais Standing Stones at quieter times, including early morning and late evening. Others referred to the spiritual or religious importance of access at certain key times, including overnight or at Sabbat. For some respondents, concerns were linked to any requirement for the Calanais Standing Stones to be surrounded by new fencing.

Future of the Calanais Standing Stones

Respondents also highlighted several issues that were important to them going forward, both in relation to the Calanais Standing Stones themselves but also the impact of visitors on the local community.

• Changing the atmosphere of the site: Connected to concerns about both charging and restricting hours of access were anxieties that the proposed arrangements will change the atmosphere at the Stones for the worse, and that something profound and hugely valuable will be lost as a result. A particular concern was that the proposals will result in the commercialisation or commodification of the Calanais Standing Stones, and that something important in terms of how people relate to the Calanais Standing Stones could change.
• Managing the impact of tourism: There were some underlying concerns about the impact of a higher and increasing number of tourist visitors to the Calanais Standing Stones. Although a common view was that it is reasonable to expect tourists visiting the site to contribute to its upkeep in some way, there were differing opinions on how this can be best achieved. One clear theme was that the focus should probably be on the larger commercial ventures that bring high numbers of visitors to the site at one time; there were specific references to tour buses and operators and to tours connected to cruises.

Conservation/preservation: Although a small number of respondents said that they did not think any changes/measures are required, others saw conservation measures as an important consideration going forward. Specific suggestions tended to relate to stopping visitors potentially damaging the Calanais Standing 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 or preservation measures needed and to ensure the general upkeep of the site 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. Following on from the consultation, a case for change proposal for visitor charging at Calanais Standing Stones was approved by the Scottish Government. The feedback from the consultation on access, charging, and conservation helped shape recommendations for the future arrangements at the Stones. This is a breakdown of how this informed our recommendations:

Charging arrangements and access: We are working closely with UnT to develop an operating agreement for a single, integrated visitor framework that balances access, conservation and community benefit. HES will continue to manage, conserve and care for Calanais Standing Stones, and UnT will operate the redeveloped Visitor Centre. This approach aims to manage visitor growth at the unstaffed site and help address rising conservation costs and the increasing effects of climate change on the Stones.

By introducing an entry fee and enhancing the wider visitor experience with associated infrastructure, we can better manage visitor demand and generate sustainable, long-term income to conserve the site and enhance the experience for future generations. A portion of income will contribute to a Fund for Heritage which will benefit the historic environment and create economic and employment opportunities for communities across the Outer Hebrides.

The framework will ensure free access to local residents and a method for out of hours access.We are working closely with UnT to enable this approach and will publish further detail in due course.

Changing the atmosphere of the site: The framework will ensure free entry for local residents and continued access for those with a spiritual or religious connection to the site. We are committed to establishing a process to support groups and individuals who wish to visit the Stones for cultural or spiritual purposes.  We will continue to review groups for whom this would apply.

Managing the impact of tourism: The impact of high-volume tourism (particularly through the opening of the deep-water port) will influence multiple attractions locally and has been carefully considered in the development of our approach. Income generated from the site will help manage visitor numbers and pressures on the site, as well as encourage visitors to other attractions. Our approach aims to ensure benefits from income are felt more widely across the island and the rest of the Outer Hebrides, particularly through the Fund for Heritage.

Conservation/preservation: Charging will help support our conservation of the site. We plan to reintroduce pathways to help mitigate the impact of visitor footfall, improve disabled access and develop the overall visitor experience through the introduction of a ranger resource.