They're the romantic setting at the heart of hit TV show Outlander but there's more to Scotland's standing stones than the potential for time travel.

Found everywhere from Argyll to Orkney, these enchanting and ancient structures link us to thousands of years in the past, where their origins lie.

Shrouded in mystery, their origins are as enigmatic as their purpose.

Sadly, the Craigh na Dun stones on the windswept Rannoch Moor aren't real - but these incredible sites are.

Clava Cairns at Balnuaran

Scotland's magical standing stones
The Clava Cairns.

The most unique site on this list, the Clava Cairns can be found close to the city of Inverness. 

These well preserved burial cairns are about 4,000 years old and are set within a beautiful wooded area.

Thought to be the main inspiration for Outlander's Craig na Dun, this ancient site even lies close to the battlefield at Culloden.

Be wary should you hear buzzing near the stones, like Claire does on the show, it could be a warning that you are about to be transported back in time.

The Ring of Brodgar

The Ring of Brodgar.
The Ring of Brodgar.

Few places are as steeped in the past as this incredible neolithic site on Orkney.

Dating back to between 2500 BC and 2000 BC, the original ring would have included 60 stones, of which 36 still rise dramatically from the earth.

Renowned Scottish geologist Hugh Miller, who visited the site in 1846, described the stones as looking like a mysterious "assemblage of ancient druids".

Calanais

The ancient standing stones of Callanish (or Calanais) on Lewis.

The ancient standing stones of Callanish (or Calanais) on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides were thought to have been erected around 5000 years ago.

Overlooking the Atlantic, this magical site has enchanted all who have visited for thousands of years.

Its deeply textured gneiss stones are arranged in alignments of avenues and a central circle not unlike a Celtic cross.

The Machrie Moor Standing Stones

Dubbed 'Scotland in Miniature', the island of Arran is home to an array of standing stones, the most famous of which can found on Machrie Moor.

An incredibly rich site of significant interest, visitors will find stone circles, standing stones and burial cairns all dating to between 3500 and 1500 BC.

Closely linked to the mythology of the island itself with the best known of the six stone circles said to be linked to legendary Celtic warrior and giant Fionn MacCuill, who used one of the stones in the outer circle to tether his dogs Bran and Scaolain .

Kilmartin

The Templewood Stone Circle.

Lying south of Oban the mystical site at Kilmartin Glen is home to 5,000 years of structural history with a range of cairns, standing stones, stone circles and castles.

There are said to be more than 300 distinct sites scattered within six miles of the wee village of Kilmartin, making it one of the most comprehensive Neolithic and Bronze Age areas in the UK.

One of the most famous, Temple Wood Stone Circle began being used some time before 3000 BC, the stone circle with a cairn at the centre is a truly fascinating location.