Stones old and not so old!

Although Mesolithic (middle stone age) hunter-gatherers visited Islay from about 10,500 years ago there is very little evidence of their presence that is obvious to the casual visitor today.  The same can't be said of their successors, the Neolithic (new stone age) communities that appeared in Islay from about 6,000 years ago.  As well as bringing domesticated sheep and cattle, clearing woodland for farming and making pottery vessels, they also built stone monuments that can still be seen dotted around the island today.  Standing stones and burial cairns are patiently waiting for you to visit them.

A more modern stone monument, the American Monument on the Oa peninsula, that commemorates the loss of some 400 American servicemen following the sinking of two troopships near the end of WW1, is equally worthy of your attention and easily reached with a short walk along some stunning cliff-top paths and open moorland.