Clach an Trushal is the tallest standing stone (Menhir

Menhir

A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

) in Scotland at 5.8 metres tall. It is sited in the village of Ballantrushal

Ballantrushal

Ballantrushal is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the West Side district, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is home to the Clach an Trushal and was the site of the last battle between the Lewis Macaulays and Morrison clans....

 on the west side of Lewis

Lewis

Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....

. Like many standing stones, it has been said that it marks the site of a great battle, the last one fought between the feuding clans

Scottish clan

Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

 of the Macaulays

Macaulay of Lewis

The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann mhic Amhlaigh, were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and Clan MacAulay which was centred in the Loch Lomond area,...

 and Morrisons

Clan Morrison

Clan Morrison is a Scottish clan. There are numerous Scottish clans, both Highland and Lowland, which use the surname Morrison. In 1965, the Lord Lyon King of Arms decided to recognise one man as chief of all Morrisons, whether their clans were related or not.-Morrisons of mainland Scotland:The...

 - however it is actually the solitary upright stone remaining from a stone circle built about 5,000 years ago. It occupied a place within the circle, although its placement was not central. The second last standing stone was removed in 1914, and used as a lintel.

From the base the stone circle at Steinacleit

Steinacleit

Steinacleit is a prehistoric archeological site in the Outer Hebrides.The site consists of an array of boulders which marks what is left of a chambered cairn, and possibly shows the site was overlain by a huge hall. There are ten large stone slabs surrounding the central mound. Folk legend of the...

 is clearly visible to the north east. The Callanish

Callanish

Callanish is a village on the West Side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides , Scotland. A linear settlement with a jetty, it is situated on a headland jutting into Loch Roag, a sea loch...

 standing stones are 20 miles to the south west.

External links

• Clach An Trushal, at the CANMORE
  CANMORE
  Canmore is an online database maintained by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The Canmore database is a part of the National Monuments Record of Scotland and contains information on 240,000 archaeological sites, monuments, and buildings in Scotland.-...
  
  -RCAHMS website