Finlaggan Loch
55.839604 -6.165988
Dated - believed to be Neolithic
Horizon view - high hills in middle distance
Horizon orientation - alignments as described below
Structure orientation - no alignments noted
Martin, who visited Islay about 1695, mentions the existence at Finlaggan of a second standing stone, also about 2m high, but gives no other indication of its position. Hence there seems to have been two stones at this point, while geophysical survey revealed 'what looked like a series of pits or features' (possibly suggesting a stone row or arcs) in the area around the stone. Unfortunately no information on the positions of these was found.
From the immediate area of this stone the midsummer sunrise can be seen to be cradled in the junction of two V shape distant high hills shortly after the horizon sunrise. This is quite highly defined and distinct as the horizon is flat with only the inverted V tops of the hills visable. They are not visable from areas to the North West and South East. Hence the stone area is the only position that this can be seen.
The two hills appear to be Beinn Chaoais (733 ft high) and Beinn An Oir (785 ft high) in the Jura Forest in the Island of Jura, which is adjacent to the Island of Islay.
Midwinter can be judged by the junction of two low wide hills with spring/autumn being the midpoint between the two.
