Lover's Stone

A precipitous slab of rock on the island of Hirta in the St. Kilda archipelago, the Lover's Stone is located on the southwest coast of the island, a quarter-mile (0.5 km) southeast of the summit of Mullach Bi and a mile (1.5 km) west of Am Baile, the island's only settlement. It gains its name because the young men of the island were expected to stand on the edge of the rock on one leg, a ritual necessary to prove themselves worthy of taking a wife. The traveller and writer Martin Martin observed this ritual during his visit of 1697, although it is unclear whether he means this stone or the Mistress Stone, which lies a half-mile (1 km) to the southeast.


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