The 'Sleeping Beauty' or 'Sleeping Mother' or 'Sleeping Goddess' mountain - as it is variously
called - is on the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. This mountain (called in Gaelic 'na Mointeach = the Old Woman of the Moors) forms the profile of a sleeping woman when viewed from the Callanish stone circle. At the major southern standstills of the Moon (every 18.6 years - next one due in 2006), the Moon appears to rise out of her 'legs', creep low along her 'body', hang low over her 'breasts', and then disappear behind a hillock, only to reappear inside the circle of stones at the foot of the tallest central one and at the head of the burial cairn.
     Now the mountain is under threat  from a proposed wind farm, which if it goes ahead will permanently disfigure the 'Goddess' shape of the hills. An application has been made to the Scottish Ministers to build a 133 turbine windfarm on the top of the peaks that constitute the 'Sleeping Beauty'. Irrespective of the value of windfarms as renewable energy, the proposed location for these wind turbines will directly affect the appearance of the Sleeping Beauty mountain and the sight of the
standstill of the moon.
     Objections to the siting of the turbines can be made to the Scottish Executive, but action must be taken immediately, as any objection can be made until next 13th January.

Source: BritArch mailing list (1 January 2005)