One tall upright and a broken companion mark a prehistoric ritual site on the slopes above Breibhig.
Quick facts
- Date
- Prehistoric, presumed Bronze Age
- Architect / designer
- Unknown
- Type
- Pair of standing stones, one upright and one broken and prostrate
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM11250)
- OS grid reference
- NL 68907 99034
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The surviving upright is about 2.74 metres high, while the second stone lies broken in two pieces nearby. Rough pasture, banks and later agricultural features surround the small scheduled area.
Its story
The pair was documented by national investigators in the early twentieth century. The fallen stone had broken by the 1965 inspection, and later recording noted damage including a drilled hole. Scheduling in 2005 protected both stones and associated deposits.
Why it is included
Scheduling recognises one of Barra's few known prehistoric standing-stone settings and its potential to inform understanding of ritual activity in the Western Isles.
What to notice
- The upright stone's pronounced lean and tall narrow profile.
- Separated pieces of the fallen companion stone.
- Later field banks crossing the surrounding rough pasture.
Reading the surroundings
Check lawful access locally and treat the land as working pasture. Avoid livestock, close gates, do not climb or touch the stones and never move fragments or probe the ground.
Timeline
- Presumed Bronze Age Island communities erected two stones above the Breibhig township.
- 1915 National fieldwork measured and described both monuments.
- 1965 Inspection found the fallen stone broken into separate pieces.
- 2005 Scheduling protected the stones and nearby archaeological deposits.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The Bronze Age date is presumed rather than scientifically demonstrated, and the original relationship between the two stones is only partly recoverable.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Breibhig Standing Stones, SM11250 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove: Barra, Brevig, Druim a' Charra — National archaeological record, historical measurements, later condition observations and bibliography.
Location
OS grid reference NL 68907 99034 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; an additional source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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