Summer Solstice alignments – is Stonehenge the only site?

I've been reading a lot about Stonehenge's alignment with the summer solstice sunrise, and it got me thinking: how many other UK ancient sites share this property? Surely our Neolithic ancestors weren't unique in noticing the sun's position?

I've visited Callanish Stones up in Lewis a few times, and the local guide mentioned they align with midsummer sunrise too. Same with Recumbent Stone Circles in Aberdeenshire. But here's what bugs me - why do we only bang on about Stonehenge in the media? Is there some kind of cover-up, or is it just because Stonehenge is easier to visit and more commercially viable?

Also, has anyone actually been to Stonehenge for summer solstice? I'm thinking of going next year but I've heard it's absolutely rammed with tourists and neo-pagans these days. What's the vibe really like?

There's no cover-up, mate - it's just that Stonehenge is the most famous because of the stones' sheer size and the mystery surrounding construction. The Callanish and other sites are well-documented in academic circles. The 'media ignores them' thing is just media being lazy, not some grand conspiracy.

The solstice alignment thing is actually more common than you'd think. Newgrange in Ireland is even more precisely aligned than Stonehenge (sunlight floods the inner chamber on winter solstice). But yes, summer solstice at Stonehenge is mental these days. Thousands of people. Druids, hippies, Instagram influencers, real archaeologists all mixed together. I went in 2019 and couldn't move. Go early June instead when it's quieter - the actual solstice day is tourist hell.

This is one of those things where the archaeologists and the esotericists interpret the same evidence differently. Archaeologists say 'seasonal marker for agriculture/festivals.' Pagans say 'sacred alignment to cosmic forces.' Both perspectives have merit, depending on what you believe consciousness and intention can do. The stones definitely do align - whether that's just practical or something deeper is the debate.

Orkney's got some brilliant sites too. Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. Up there in June the sun barely sets - it's the 'simmer dim' period - so solstice alignment works a bit differently. Worth adding to your pilgrimage if you're planning a UK sites tour.