Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Outer Hebrides Macleod's Stone
AO Edited

Macleod's Stone

This standing stone has a unique backdrop thanks to some of the United Kingdom's best-rated beaches.

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Macleod’s Stone   kristi herbert
Macleod’s Stone   kristi herbert
Macleod’s Stone   james allan
Macleod’s Stone   tom richardson
Macleod’s Stone   peter stenzel
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Clach Mhic Leoid, as this standing stone is known in Gaelic, is one of many such stones in Scotland. Just in the Outer Hebrides archipelago, visitors can find what is likely the country's tallest stone, alongside one of the most famous groups of standing stones. Macleod's Stone is different from these, however, as it is located in plain view of some of the characteristically powder-fine sands and turquoise waters of many Hebridean beaches.

The stone is closest to Traigh Iar beach, with Traigh Nisabost not far away. These two are often grouped with Luskentyre Beach as probably the most famous landscapes of the Isle of Harris. It is this backdrop that makes Clach Mhic Leoid stand out from practically any other standing stone in Scotland. In addition to the backdrop, Macleod's Stone also happens to overlook a golf course, making it a pinnacle of Scottish-ness.

While the actual MacLeod clan traces its origins to the legendary 13th-century ancestor known as Leod, the stone itself predates his existence. It has been dated to the prehistoric Neolithic period and is believed to have been part of rituals, including funerary rites. A ring of ground-level stones around the main stone is thought to show the remnants of a cairn.

Related Tags

Neolithic Stone Beaches
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Published

November 16, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.isleofharris.com/discover-harris/past-and-present/clach-mhic-le%C3%B2id
  • https://www.andrewswalks.co.uk/macleods-stone.html
  • https://canmore.org.uk/site/10532/harris-clach-mhic-leoid
Macleod's Stone
Outer Hebrides, Scotland, HS3 3AE
United Kingdom
57.865564, -6.993011

Nearby Places

The Scarista Bus

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

Scalpay Bridge

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

West Berneray Beach

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Outer Hebrides

Outer Hebrides

Scotland

Places 26
Stories 1

Nearby Places

The Scarista Bus

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

Scalpay Bridge

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

West Berneray Beach

Outer Hebrides, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Outer Hebrides

Outer Hebrides

Scotland

Places 26
Stories 1

Related Places

  • The menhir is particularly impressive at night.

    Blieskastel, Germany

    Gollenstein

    After Nazi forces smashed this 4,000-year-old Neolithic standing stone, locals banded together to restore it.

  • Stane Alane Standing Stone

    Lochgilphead, Scotland

    Stane Alane Standing Stone

    A mysterious solitary standing stone from the Neolithic period.

  • Hundred Year Stone

    Keswick, England

    Hundred Year Stone

    This unusual sculpture is sometimes partially, sometimes fully, submerged.

  • Carn Goedog

    Eglwyswrw, Wales

    Carn Goedog

    This rocky outcrop served as a quarry for some of the bluestones that sit at the center of Stonehenge.

  • Looking in from the gap left by the missing stone

    Duddo, England

    Duddo Five Stones

    There were once more than five stones in this ancient monument.

  • Glenquicken Stone Circle in the mist

    Creetown, Scotland

    Glenquicken Stone Circle

    A gap marks the spot where a now-missing stone once completed the circular arrangement at this Neolithic site.

  • Drumtroddan Standing Stones

    Mochrum, Scotland

    Drumtroddan Standing Stones

    These stones date back to the 3rd or 2nd millennium B.C.

  • Croft Moraig Stone Circle entry stones

    Aberfeldy, Scotland

    Croft Moraig Stone Circle

    This Neolithic stone circle is the most complete of its kind in Scotland.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.