From Spring 2026 (whenever the new Visitor Centre opens, date to be determined) an entry fee of £15 for adults and £10 for children will be charged to access the Calanais Standing Stones with tickets valid for one year from the purchase date allowing multiple visits.
Free access to the stones will be permitted outside the centre’s operating hours via the Calanais Visitor Centre access path.
I'm glad about that. It was free when I went there but I made a donation and I think that any ticket fees would be for a good cause. I know it's closed right now (well, without services, although I think you can still see them) and I look forward to going again in the future once it opens again and will happily pay the entry fee. Thanks for the heads up, Stuart.
Can I clarify isn31c - does this mean that during the hours the visitor centre is open that you are unable to access the stones unless you pay?
Correct, it is quite a change. It seems to be ruffling more than a few feathers according to the 'Hebrides News' newspaper, not only a charge per se, but the scale of the charge.
Reading between the lines (and the long statement on the website) it looks as it it was to have been access only during visitor centre hours, and this after hours access was a concession to the locals.
It is an interesting decision, I think it's fair to say.
It seems like if they want that to work, they’ll have to build something or move the visitor center. Right now it’s easy to get to the stones without even coming near the visitor center.
For those who want to understand what is happening with the visitor centre the suite of documents relating to the development is here- https://planning.cne-siar.gov.uk/PublicAccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=R9LKT7ROH1V00
One of the drivers for an entrance charge may have been the much increased cruise traffic at Stornoway following the completion of the deep water terminal (mainly for freight traffic, but also allowing cruise ships to berth, as opposed to anchoring in the bay).
And of course Calanais I (as the site is technically known) is a prime site for the cruise excursions.
