A dangerously balanced rock on the island of Hirta in the St. Kilda group, the Mistress Stone lies above an archway at the top of a cliff on the western the slopes of Ruival, a half-mile (1 km) southwest of Am Baile, the island's only settlement. It is associated with a tale whereby 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. This ritual was observed by traveller and writer Martin Martin during his visit of 1697, but it is possible he was actually referring to the Lover's Stone, which lies a half-mile (1 km) to the northwest.
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