Pobull Fhinn Stone Circle, North Uist

Pobull Fhinn Stone Circle

The best-preserved stone circle in the southern isles, Pobull Fhinn stands on the slope of a hill looking east over Loch Langass, with the mass of Ben Langass in the distance. The name loosely translates as 'Finn's People', a reference to the mythical Gaelic hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool).

The circle is composed of at least 48 stones, only one of which is really prominent, and many of which have fallen. The circle is set upon a man-made terrace, made by cutting into the slope of Ben Langass on one side and building up the slope on the other to create a fairly level platform. The circle is actually an oval shape, about 37 metres by 30 metres, with the longer side running east to west.

The most prominent stone stands at the south-east and is over two metres high. An even larger fallen stone lies outside the circle. No excavations have taken place at Pobull Fhinn, and we do not know why it was built or by whom. However, the location makes this a must-see site.

You can easily combine a visit to Pobull Fhinn with Barpa Langass passage grave on the opposite slope of Ben Langass.

Location

Pobull Phinn is accessed off the A867 about seven miles south of Lochmaddy. Take the road to the Langass Lodge hotel and park in the lot just before the hotel. There is an information sign and details about the site beside the parking area. This sign also shows the location of Barpa Langass.

Go through the hotel gate at the bottom of the parking area, along the path, through another gate, and follow the trail to the circle, overlooking the loch.