Scotland's Stonehenge at centre of right-to-roam row
A right-to-roam row over 'Scotland's Stonehenge' has broken out after it emerged that visitors to the ancient stone circle could be charged an admission fee.
The Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, has long been free for the public to access – but now anyone wanting to marvel at the stones in future could be forced to buy a ticket.
The circle of stones are up to 13ft tall and were built before Stonehenge, with an imposing megalith weighing 5.5 tonnes standing at its centre.
The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which has admitted that they are considering imposing an entry fee.
Urras nan Tursachan, the charity which runs a neighbouring visitor centre where people could choose to buy a ticket, is building a new £6 million centre at the site which is expected to open next year.
Documents relating to the project suggest the stones will only be accessible after buying a ticket.
Druids are worried the new set-up will stop them seeing the stones at night at key moments of astronomical activity.
This summer a rare 'lunar standstill' will see the moon skim across a nearby range of hills before disappearing briefly and then shining into the centre of the stone circle.
Daru Mcaleece, an artist and storyteller from outside Edinburgh, represents the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, which has 30,000 members in 50 countries and is dedicated to practising and promoting Druidry.
He said: 'The Calanais Stones are a significant feature of a sacred landscape, and have been a focus of ritual activity since the Bronze Age.
'Druids have a long history of working with sacred sites across the eight festivals of the year and these celebrations take place across the entire ceremonial landscape of Britain.
'Free access is required for these festivals.'
The charity said: 'Previously and currently, visitors can freely walk up to the stones from the visitor centre car park without having to enter the visitor centre or make any payment.
'The new exhibition will now become part of the visitor journey to the stone site with access via the visitor centre, through the exhibition. This will be an all-in-one ticket price.'
An HSE spokesman said: 'The proposed admission charge will help efforts to balance conservation of the monument with visitor access.'
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