Clava Cairns Near Inverness, Scotland

Almost a decade ago now, my mom got me hooked on a little book series known as, Outlander. Fast forward 8 years, and it’s now a hit series and has caused a major spike in Scottish tourism. Since my mom and I are both huge Outlander fans, I know that I had to find some stone circles for us to explore. I found the perfect stone circle to explore: Clava Cairns. Like in the book series, this stone circle sits not far from Culloden Battlefield.

A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND CLAVA CAIRNS

Clava Cairns is a Bronze Age burial site near Inverness, Scotland and it’s actually made up of two sections. The main one is known as Balnuaran of Clava (this is the one we visited) and Milton of Clava. Balnuaran of Clava is a site made up of three passage tombs that date back 4,000 years. This grouping of three passage tombs at Clava Cairns has something extra special to it: they’re each surrounded by stone circles. According to the signs here, the stones were used before they were these passage tombs. So these were some of the earliest recyclers! The two major stone passages are said to align with the winter solstice, which only adds to the mystery of this beautiful site and the people who created it. I wish that we had more insight as to why these people worshipped the sun so much.

The Northeast Cairn – this is the one that lines up with the solstice the most. Notice the stone circle surrounding it?  Walking into one of Clava Cairns’ passage tombs

OUR VISIT TO CLAVA CAIRNS

We had a total Outlander moment on our visit to Clava Cairns. There are several standing stones here, and we definitely touched the most magical looking ones, hoping we’d maybe get to live out an amazing, magical experience. (Too be honest, it was a huge relief to not be back in 18th century Scotland. I’m definitely not as resourceful as Claire is.) However, it was still fun to be at one of the stone circles that are rumored to have inspired the fictional Criagh na Dun stone circles.

 
In addition to wanting to experience Clava Cairns because of its Outlander connection, I was really excited to explore a more off-the-beaten-path prehistoric standing stone/passage tomb. We visited Stonehenge in England and Nowth Passage Tomb in Ireland. However, both of those sites were packed with hoards of tourists. 
Instead of having to be on a tour or being roped so far away from the site, we got to walk inside the passage tombs and right up to the standing stones. It was a really magical opportunity to be able to get this up-close and personal with such an ancient site. It’s such a beautiful archaeological site and allows you to get a feel for the magic and connection with nature that these ancient peoples had.
In addition to loving the site for its site itself, doing anything with these two ladies makes for a fun experience.  Matt captured this beauty of us attempting to take a super-silly selfie of the three of us.
   
I was also amazed at the fact that, although people are allowed to touch the stones, no one had etched into them and they seemed to be well-preserved. This could change as more people discover the site, but for now, it was something I very much enjoyed.

NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT CLAVA CAIRNS

⋙ ADMISSION: Free! How cool is that?!
⋙ HOURS OF OPERATION: It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
⋙ BEST TIME TO VISIT: I don’t think there’s a bad time to visit. However, getting to experience Clava Cairns during the Winter Solstice has to be completely unbelievable because of its alignment. We went in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day and it was an incredible experience.
⋙ NEAREST MAJOR TOWN: Inverness, Scotland
⋙ OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST NEARBY: Culloden Battlefield (battlefield from the last Jacobite Uprising), Inverness (castle, history, nature), Loch Ness (nature, castles, Nessie)

STAY NEAR CLAVA CAIRNS

CLOSEST OPTION TO CLAVA CAIRNS: LEANACH FARMS ($125/night) – At just over a half mile from Clava Cairns, you could set out on foot to this beautiful archaeological site. With an 8.8 rating on Booking.com, you’re sure to enjoy this place. Breakfast is included with each room, and the farm setting will make for a perfect Highland experience.
SHOESTRING BUDGET IN INVERNESS: BAZPACKERS (starting at $24/night for a dorm bunk, or $39/night for a private room) – Bazpackers gets a 9.0 rating on Booking.com and for good reason. The dorms look well-organized, and the private rooms are cozy. There’s a kitchen here to cook your own meals to help keep that budget down. Also, the location is amazing just down the road from the castle – you can see it from many of the windows!
MID-RANGE BUDGET OPTION: GLEN MHOR HOTEL (starting at $90/night) – This hotel has a stellar location on the River Ness and only a 3-minute walk to city center. These rooms look spacious, many have a river view and are a bargain. With an 8.2 rating on Booking, it’s sure to be a memorable experience.

If you’re a fan of history, archaeology, mysticism, Outlander or unique experiences, this should be on your Scotland itinerary. It’s a very easy day trip from Inverness or Loch Ness. It’s less than 5 minutes from Culloden Battlefield, so if you’re making the pilgrimage there, definitely don’t miss this amazing site.

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