The map shows the slow route up to Callanish from our home in Brighton and the very fast trip back (well as fast as a G reg van will take you!). We visited as many sacred sites along the way as we, and the weather, could manage. We researched and drew along the way for our future calendars. Here's the map - the red lines are the journey up and the blue ones the journey back.

Daffy, our trusty van which took us from Brighton to Lewis and home again

We had been looking forward to this for over 10 years!! Having astrology as a main theme running through our lives has meant that we are often aware of planetary phenomenon. Years ago, we fantasized about all doing a journey up to the Outer Hebrides and I can't believe it is over!

Two cottages were booked for a week in Lewis where we met our friends The Wheel of Astrologers who had also been planning and discussing (at length) the Standstill. There was also a couple of tents in the garden and a couple of campervans in the driveway, one of which was us. Everyone made their own way up there, all with different transport and varied time scales. We had four weeks and what an amazing four weeks it was!

Starting at Avebury on the Summer Solstice, we drove straight up to the Lake District where we stopped at Castlerigg to rest after the festivites of Solstice. We then visited the stone circles of Swinside and Blakely Rise. We then explored the stunning countryside of the Lakes. We then travelled up to Oban and across to the Isle of Mull, over to the sacred isle of Iona and then out to Fingals Cave.

Next, we sailed back over to the main land and travelled up to Mallaig and over to Skye where we went on a whale spotting boat trip and said hello to the Old Man of Storr.

Then we went over to Uist with it’s legendary beaches and ancient stones and found some breathtaking scenery. Then over to Harris where we experienced the beautiful beaches, huge mountains and, of course, the climax to our journey in Lewis was to meet the incredible Callanish stones and to experience the Major Lunar Standstill.

At the time of the Major Lunar Standstill, the Moon rises at the feet of the Sleeping Beauty Mountain, skims along her and then just as it looks like it has set, the Moon will appear in the stone circle. My research has all suggested that the phenomenon with the Moon and the Sleeping Beauty was initially observed and that the stone circle was built to honour and harness the Moons energy.

Thanks again to everyone who came on our journey with us at the time - now you can come on our journey too!