

The tip of the southern stone, Ailsa Craig in the distance.
It’s pretty inescapable that the stones line up on the highest point of Holy Island (Mullach Mor).
Looking towards Holy Island, with Goatfell over to the left.
The stones on their coastal knoll.
In order to get to the stones I had to get past this horny cow. She was friendly!
The two stones form an alignment with Ailsa Craig just a few degrees off North-South.
Keeking out to Paddy’s Milestane.
The gnarled old timer gazes down on some young shags sunning themselves on the rocks.
What an arresting position! As you walk down the hill the stones are glaring back up at you, set out on a flat promontory surrounded by sea. This looks like the kind of setting standing stones have in Victorian paintings of druids but never in real life.
Once down here, you find two stones on a north-south axis. The northern, leaning at about 20 degrees, is about 3 foot high, the southern one’s about 4 foot. Both are heavily pocked with great rounded gouges of weathering.
At this place, Ailsa Craig has come into view. The stones are aligned on a straight line between Ailsa Craig and the mountain of Holy Island.
Furthermore – although I’m not sure how much is me wanting to see this – the contours of the top of the southern stone approximate the shape of Ailsa Craig whilst the northern are similar to Holy Island.
This is a beautiful place. Dramatic rock formations act as a plinth to idling cormorants, we watch a hare career back up the hill, and a gang of gannets wheel in the air and dive for fish.
Once more, I’m thankful for the amazing places stones bring me to and I could sit here all day.
Directions: Park on the road. Follow the track between the houses down. After 500m or so, once you’re on a similar elevation to the stones and just before the steps down to Shore Cottage, there’s a stile on your left.
visited 10 June 05