Pictish stones
Encyclopedia
Pictish stones are monumental stelae found in Scotland
, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line. These stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts
and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th centuries, a period during which the Picts became Christianized. The earlier stones have few surviving parallels from the rest of the British Isles, but the later forms are variations within a wider Insular
tradition of monumental stones such as high cross
es.
s, lineages or kindreds. A small number of pictish stones have been found associated with burials, but most are not in their original locations. The stones may also have marked tribal or lineage territories. The archaeologist Lex Ritman, University of Amsterdam, examined the Congash Stones near Grantown-on-Spey and concluded that the stones were reused as portal stones for an ancient graveyard.
The exact number of distinct pictish symbols is not known as there is some debate as to what constitutes a pictish symbol. The more inclusive estimates are in excess of sixty different symbols, but the true number is more likely to be around thirty. These include abstract symbols which have been assigned arbitrary descriptive names by researchers (such as crescent and V-rod, double disc and Z-rod
) or outline pictures of animals (such as the adder, salmon, wolf, stag, eagle and the mythical Pictish Beast
). There are also representations of everyday objects such as the mirror and comb, which could have been used by high-status males. The symbols are almost always arranged in pairs or sets of pairs, sometimes with the mirror and comb below, hence the thinking they could represent lineage or kindred (such as two parents/clans). According to Anthony Jackson the symbol pairs represent matrilineal marriage alliances.
The symbols may rarely be found on jewelry, such as silver plaques from the Norrie's Law hoard found in Fife
in the early 19th century, and the Whitecleuch Chain
. However, very little Pictish metalwork has survived in comparison to neighbouring cultures. The symbols are also sometimes found on other movable objects like small stone discs and bones mostly from the Northern Isles
. Simple or early forms of the symbols are carved on the walls of coastal caves at East Wemyss
, Fife
and Covesea, Moray
.
A team from Exeter University, using mathematical analysis, have concluded that the symbols in the Pictish image stones "exhibit the characteristics of written languages" (as opposed to "random or sematographic (heraldic) characters"). This claim has been criticized by linguists Mark Liberman
and Richard Sproat on the grounds that the non-uniform distribution of symbols - taken to be evidence of writing - is little different from non-linguistic non-uniform distributions (such as die rolls), and that the Exeter team are using a definition of writing broader than that used by linguists. To date, even those who propose that the symbols should be considered "writing" from this mathematical approach do not have a suggested decipherment.
However, earlier studies based on a contextual approach drawing on the identification of the pagan pre-Christian Celtic Cult of the Archer Guardian have been able to suggest possible clausal meanings for symbol pairs.
s or other protected sites. Some of the more notable individual examples and collections are listed below (Note that listing is no guarantee of unrestricted access, since some lie on private land).
Areas that show particular concentrations include Strathtay
, Strathmore
, coastal Angus
, Fife
, Strathdee
, Garioch
, Moray
, Strathspey
, Caithness
, Easter Ross
, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.
Two Pictish Class I stones are known to have been removed from Scotland. These are Burghead
5 (Moray
), showing the figure of a bull, now in the British Museum
, and the Crosskirk stone (Caithness
), presented to the KIng of Denmark
in the 19h century, but whose location is currently unknown.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line. These stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th centuries, a period during which the Picts became Christianized. The earlier stones have few surviving parallels from the rest of the British Isles, but the later forms are variations within a wider Insular
Insular art
Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, is the style of art produced in the post-Roman history of Ireland and Great Britain. The term derives from insula, the Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland shared a largely common style different from that of the rest of Europe...
tradition of monumental stones such as high cross
High cross
A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
es.
Purpose and meaning
The purpose and meaning of the stones are only slightly understood. The stones may have served as personal memorials, with symbols for clanClan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
s, lineages or kindreds. A small number of pictish stones have been found associated with burials, but most are not in their original locations. The stones may also have marked tribal or lineage territories. The archaeologist Lex Ritman, University of Amsterdam, examined the Congash Stones near Grantown-on-Spey and concluded that the stones were reused as portal stones for an ancient graveyard.
The exact number of distinct pictish symbols is not known as there is some debate as to what constitutes a pictish symbol. The more inclusive estimates are in excess of sixty different symbols, but the true number is more likely to be around thirty. These include abstract symbols which have been assigned arbitrary descriptive names by researchers (such as crescent and V-rod, double disc and Z-rod
Double disc (Pictish symbol)
The double disc is a Pictish symbol of unknown meaning, that is frequently found on Class I and Class II Pictish stones, as well as on Pictish metalwork. The symbol can be found with and without an overlaid Z-rod , and in combinations of both .-Gallery:...
) or outline pictures of animals (such as the adder, salmon, wolf, stag, eagle and the mythical Pictish Beast
Pictish Beast
The Pictish Beast is an artistic representation of an animal, and is depicted on Pictish symbol stones. It is not easily identifiable with any real animal, but resembles a seahorse, especially when depicted upright...
). There are also representations of everyday objects such as the mirror and comb, which could have been used by high-status males. The symbols are almost always arranged in pairs or sets of pairs, sometimes with the mirror and comb below, hence the thinking they could represent lineage or kindred (such as two parents/clans). According to Anthony Jackson the symbol pairs represent matrilineal marriage alliances.
The symbols may rarely be found on jewelry, such as silver plaques from the Norrie's Law hoard found in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in the early 19th century, and the Whitecleuch Chain
Whitecleuch Chain
The Whitecleuch Chain is a large Pictish silver chain found in Whitecleuch, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1869. A high status piece, it is likely to have been worn as a choker neck ornament for ceremonial purposes. It dates from 400 to 800 AD.-Location:...
. However, very little Pictish metalwork has survived in comparison to neighbouring cultures. The symbols are also sometimes found on other movable objects like small stone discs and bones mostly from the Northern Isles
Northern Isles
The Northern Isles is a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney...
. Simple or early forms of the symbols are carved on the walls of coastal caves at East Wemyss
East Wemyss
East Wemyss is a village situated on the south coast of the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 the population was recorded as 1841.- History :...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
and Covesea, Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
.
A team from Exeter University, using mathematical analysis, have concluded that the symbols in the Pictish image stones "exhibit the characteristics of written languages" (as opposed to "random or sematographic (heraldic) characters"). This claim has been criticized by linguists Mark Liberman
Mark Liberman
Mark Liberman is an American linguist. He has a dual appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, as Trustee Professor of Phonetics in the Department of Linguistics, and as a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences. He is the founder and director of the Linguistic Data...
and Richard Sproat on the grounds that the non-uniform distribution of symbols - taken to be evidence of writing - is little different from non-linguistic non-uniform distributions (such as die rolls), and that the Exeter team are using a definition of writing broader than that used by linguists. To date, even those who propose that the symbols should be considered "writing" from this mathematical approach do not have a suggested decipherment.
However, earlier studies based on a contextual approach drawing on the identification of the pagan pre-Christian Celtic Cult of the Archer Guardian have been able to suggest possible clausal meanings for symbol pairs.
Classification
In The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland (1903) J Romilly Allen and Joseph Anderson first classified Pictish stones into three groups. Critics have noted weaknesses in this system but it is widely known and still used in the field.- Class 1 — unworked stones with symbols only incised. There is no crossCrossA cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
on either side. Class 1 stones date back to the 6th, 7th and 8th centuries. - Class 2 — stones of more or less rectangular shape with a large cross and symbol(s) on one or both sides. The symbols, as well as ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
motifs, are carved in relief and the cross with its surroundings is filled with designs. Class 2 stones date from the 8th and 9th centuries. - Class 3 — these stones feature no idiomatic Pictish symbols. The stones can be cross-slabs, recumbent gravemarkers, free-standing crosses, and composite stone shrines. They originate in the 8th or 9th century.
Sites
Only a few stones still stand at their original sites; most have been moved to museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s or other protected sites. Some of the more notable individual examples and collections are listed below (Note that listing is no guarantee of unrestricted access, since some lie on private land).
Class I
- Aberlemno 1 (The serpent stone), AberlemnoAberlemnoAberlemno is a parish and small village in the Scottish council area of Angus. It is noted for three large carved Pictish stones dating from the 7th and 8th centuries AD ; the stones can be viewed at any time in spring-autumn, but are covered by wooden boxes in the winter to prevent frost damage...
, Angus. Boxed during winter months. - The Craw Stane, a six-foot-high Class I stone on top of a hill near Rhynie. A salmon and Pictish BeastPictish BeastThe Pictish Beast is an artistic representation of an animal, and is depicted on Pictish symbol stones. It is not easily identifiable with any real animal, but resembles a seahorse, especially when depicted upright...
are carved on the south-facing side. - Dunnichen StoneDunnichen StoneThe Dunnichen Stone is a class I Pictish symbol stone that was discovered in 1811 at Dunnichen, Angus.-Location:The exact location at which the stone was found is unknown, but thought to be in a field in the East Mains of Dunnichen, on the SE slope of Dunnichen Hill, , overlooking Dunnichen Moss...
, a class I stone found at DunnichenDunnichenDunnichen is a small village in Angus, Scotland, situated between Letham and Forfar. It is close to Dunnichen Hill, at which the Battle of Dun Nechtain is popularly believed to have been fought.-History:...
, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, now on display at the Meffan Institute in ForfarForfarForfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
. A replica stands at its former position in front of DunnichenDunnichenDunnichen is a small village in Angus, Scotland, situated between Letham and Forfar. It is close to Dunnichen Hill, at which the Battle of Dun Nechtain is popularly believed to have been fought.-History:...
church. - Tain and District Museum, Tain — Class I stone in the yard and fragments from Edderton churchyard and Nigg in the museum.
- Inverness Museum, Castle Wynd, InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
— collection of 8 Class I stones, including the Ardross Wolf and Deer's Head (two of the finest surviving animal symbols, probably originally parts of the same slab), and a fragment that matches a piece in Dunrobin CastleDunrobin CastleDunrobin Castle is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is the seat of the Countess of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie, and approximately south of Brora, on the Dornoch Firth close to the A9 road. Nearby Dunrobin Castle railway...
. - Knocknagael Boar Stone, Highland Council HQ, Glenurquhart St, InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
— Class I stone to be seen through a large window. Found at Knocknagael on the outskirts of InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. - Churchyard Stone, StrathpefferStrathpefferStrathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...
— Class I stone - Clach a'Mheirlich, Rosskeen — Class I stone in a field.
- Tarbat Discovery Centre, PortmahomackPortmahomackPortmahomack is a small fishing village in Easter Ross, Scotland. It is situated in the Tarbat Peninsula in the parish of Tarbat. Tarbat Ness Lighthouse is about three miles from the village at the end of the Tarbat Peninsula. Ballone Castle lies about a mile from the village...
— large collection of excavated fragments and information about the Picts. - Sharp Stone (Clach Biorach)Clach BiorachThe Clach Biorach is a three-metre Standing Stone located a 1/4 mile north-west of the village of Edderton in Easter Ross. It dates to the Bronze Age, but two Pictish-style symbols were later engraved on the north side, making it a Class I Pictish symbol stone...
, EddertonEddertonEdderton is a village near Tain, lying on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, Easter Ross. It has approximately 388 inhabitants. It is the location of the Balblair Distillery, and of the Class III Pictish stone, the Edderton Cross Slab, which lies in the old churchyard of the village...
— Class I stone in a field (probable original position), viewable from the roadside. - Kincardine Old Church, ArdgayArdgayArdgay is a small Scottish village on the north west shore of the Dornoch Firth, Sutherland and lies at the entrance to Strathcarron, the valley of the River Carron. In the Highland Council area Ardgay is in Ward 1, the North, West and Central Sutherland ward.Ardgay is served by the Ardgay...
— coffin-shaped monument. - Eagle Stone (Clach an TiompainClach an TiompainThe Clach an Tiompain or The Eagle Stone is a small Class I Pictish stone located on a hill on the northern outskirts of Strathpeffer in Easter Ross, Scotland.-Description:...
), StrathpefferStrathpefferStrathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...
Class I stone. - Tote Stone, ToteToteTote may refer to:*Tote, abbreviation for Tote board, the name for the computerised system which runs parimutuel betting, calculating payoff odds, displaying them, and producing tickets based on incoming bets...
on the Isle of Skye — Class I stone in small fenced enclosure.
Class II
- Aberlemno 2 (The kirkyard stone) — in the churchyard at AberlemnoAberlemnoAberlemno is a parish and small village in the Scottish council area of Angus. It is noted for three large carved Pictish stones dating from the 7th and 8th centuries AD ; the stones can be viewed at any time in spring-autumn, but are covered by wooden boxes in the winter to prevent frost damage...
, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. Boxed during winter months. - Aberlemno 3 (The great stone) — at the roadside, AberlemnoAberlemnoAberlemno is a parish and small village in the Scottish council area of Angus. It is noted for three large carved Pictish stones dating from the 7th and 8th centuries AD ; the stones can be viewed at any time in spring-autumn, but are covered by wooden boxes in the winter to prevent frost damage...
, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. Boxed during winter months. - Drosten StoneDrosten StoneThe Drosten Stone is a carved Pictish stone of the 9th century at St Vigeans, near Arbroath, Scotland. In academic contexts it is sometimes called St Vigeans 1....
Rare example of a Pictish stone with an inscription in Latin text. At St VigeansSt VigeansSt Vigeans is a small village and parish in Angus, Scotland, immediately to the north of Arbroath. Originally rural, it is now more or less a suburb of the town of Arbroath. The name St Vigeans is derived from Vigeanus, a Latinised form of the Old Irish name Féichín. Saint Feichin flourished in...
, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. - Dunfallandy Stone (Clach an t-Sagairt, 'The Priest's Stone'), PitlochryPitlochryPitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....
— fine Class II stone (Historic ScotlandHistoric ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
). - Eassie StoneEassie StoneThe Eassie Stone is a Class II Pictish stone at the village of Eassie, Angus, Scotland. The stone was found in Eassie burn in the late 18th century and now resides in a purpose-built perspex building in the ruined Eassie church.-Location:...
, stands in the ruined church at EassieEassieEassie is a village located along the A94 road in Angus, Scotland. The church in Eassie is dedicated to Saint Fergus, a monk who worked at nearby Glamis...
*Groam House Museum, RosemarkieRosemarkieRosemarkie is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in northern Scotland.-Geography:Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of Fortrose...
— collection of fragments of Pictish stones and a Class II cross-slab. The museum also has a collection of photographs of Pictish stones in Scotland. - Fordoun Stone, in the vestibule of Fordoun parish church, AuchenblaeAuchenblaeAuchenblae is a village in the Kincardine and Mearns area of Aberdeenshire, formerly in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is featured in Lewis Grassic Gibbon's novel, Sunset Song. The name is a derivation from the Gaelic for "Field of Flowers" possibly due to the growing of flax in bygone times. The...
there is a Class II 'Pictish' cross-slab which had been used as the base of the pulpit of the church of 1788. The face bears a Latin cross, part of a 'sea monster', a double-disc and Z-rod, a hunting scene with three horsemen and dogs, and two inscriptions, one in Hiberno-Saxon miniscules (on the face) and the other in Ogam (on the edge). - Kirriemuir Sculptured StonesKirriemuir Sculptured StonesThe Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones are a series of Class II and III Pictish stones found in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. Their existence points to Kirriemuir being an important ecclesiastical centre in the late first millennium AD.-Location:...
, now on display at the Meffan Institute in ForfarForfarForfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
. - Hilton of Cadboll StoneHilton of Cadboll StoneThe Hilton of Cadboll Stone is a Class II Pictish stone discovered at Hilton of Cadboll, on the Tarbat Peninsula in Easter Ross, Scotland. It is one of the most magnificent of all Pictish cross-slabs. On the seaward-facing side is a Christian cross, and on the landward facing side are secular...
, now in the National Museum, with a replica at the original site. One of the finest pictorial stones - Nigg StoneNigg StoneThe Nigg Stone is an incomplete Class II Pictish cross-slab, perhaps dating to the end of the 8th century. The stone was originally located at the gateway to the grounds of the parish church of Nigg, Easter Ross. It is one of the finest surviving Pictish carved stones, and one of the most...
, NiggNigg, HighlandNigg is a village and parish on the north east shore of Nigg Bay in north east Ross-shire and is in the Scottish council area of Highland...
inside the former parish church — Class II cross-slab. A fragment of it can be found in Tain Museum - Trusty's Hill, near AnwothAnwothAnwoth is a settlement near the Solway Firth in the Stewarty of Kirkcudbright, in South West Scotland, within a parish of the same name in the Vale of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway. Anwoth lies a mile to the west of Gatehouse of Fleet....
, Dumfries and GallowayDumfries and GallowayDumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
— a series of Class II stones. - Shandwick Stone, ShandwickShandwickShandwick , a village near Tain in Easter Ross, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland, Scotland.Hilton, Balintore, and Shandwick are known collectively as the Seaboard Villages. It is well-known because of the nearby Clach a' Charridh or Shandwick Stone, a Class II Pictish stone.-External...
— Class II cross-slab protected by glass shelter. - St Orland's StoneSt Orland's StoneSt Orland's Stone is a Class II Pictish Cross-Slab at Cossans, near Kirriemuir and Forfar, Angus, Scotland-Location:...
, near KirriemuirKirriemuirKirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland.-History:The history of Kirriemuir extends to the early historical period and it appears to have been a centre of some ecclesiastical importance...
, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. - Woodwrae StoneWoodwrae StoneThe Woodwrae Stone is a Class II Pictish Stone that was found in 1819 when the foundations of the old castle at Woodwrae, Angus, Scotland were cleared. It had been reused as a floor slab in the kitchen of the castle. Following its removal from the castle, it was donated to the collection of Sir...
, from Woodwrae, AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, now at Museum of Scotland, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Class III
- The Camus CrossCamus CrossThe Camus Cross, otherwise known as the Camuston or Camustane Cross, is an Early Medieval Scottish standing stone located on the Panmure Estate near Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland...
, high crossHigh crossA high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
near CarnoustieCarnoustieCarnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
. - The Dupplin CrossDupplin CrossThe Dupplin Cross is a carved, monumental Pictish stone, which dates from around 800A.D. It was first recorded by Thomas Pennant in 1769, on a hillside in Strathearn, a little to the north Forteviot and Dunning...
high crossHigh crossA high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
at St Serf's church, DunningDunningDunning is a small village in Perth and Kinross in Scotland with a population of about 1,000. The village is built around the 12th-13th century former parish church of St. Serf, where the Dupplin Cross is displayed . The building was used in the filming of the Scottish film Complicity...
. - Dunblane Cathedral, DunblaneDunblaneDunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
— this Class III stone was found in the foundations of Dunblane CathedralDunblane CathedralDunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland.-History:...
during restoration. It can be found inside the Cathedral. - Sueno's StoneSueno's StoneSueno's Stone stands over 6.5 metres high and is a Picto-Scottish Class III standing stone on the north-easterly edge of Forres, Scotland. It is the largest surviving Pictish stone of its type in Scotland...
, ForresForresForres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
— 6.5m-high cross-slab (tallest in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) dating from 9th or 10th century protected by glass (Historic ScotlandHistoric ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
).
Collections
- Dunrobin Castle Museum, GolspieGolspieGolspie is a coastal village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of around 1,650 people. It is located picturesquely on the shores of the North Sea in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie ....
— collection of over 20 Class I and II Pictish stones collected by the Dukes of Sutherland. - Elgin Museum, High St, ElginElgin, MorayElgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
— large collection, largely from Kinneddar churchyard. - McManus GalleriesMcManus GalleriesMcManus Galleries is a Gothic Revival-style building, located in the centre of Dundee, Scotland. The building houses a museum and art gallery with a collection of fine and decorative art as well as a natural history collection....
, DundeeDundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. Collection of class I and III stones. - The Meffan InstituteMeffan InstituteThe Meffan Institute is a museum and art gallery in Forfar, Angus. It houses a variety of exhibits of local interest in Angus, including a collection of Pictish stones, particularly the Dunnichen Stone and the Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones as well as Roman and Mediaeval artifacts found in the local...
, ForfarForfarForfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and... - Meigle Sculptured Stone MuseumMeigle Sculptured Stone MuseumThe Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum is a permanent exhibition of 27 carved Pictish stones in the centre of the village of Meigle in eastern Scotland. It lies on the A94 road running from Coupar Angus to Forfar. The museum occupies the former parish school, built 1844. The collection of stones...
, MeigleMeigleMeigle is a village in Strathmore, Scotland. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. The nearest town is Forfar in neighbouring Angus. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balkeerie, Kirkinch and Kinloch. Meigle is accessed from the north and south...
, near ForfarForfarForfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and... - Museum of Scotland, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
- Montrose Museum
- Perth Museum, PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
— collection of 3 Pictish stones, St Madoes 1, Inchyra and Gellyburn. - Pictavia, near BrechinBrechinBrechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
- St Vigeans Museum, ArbroathArbroathArbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...
— collection of Pictish and medieval stones. Includes the Drosten StoneDrosten StoneThe Drosten Stone is a carved Pictish stone of the 9th century at St Vigeans, near Arbroath, Scotland. In academic contexts it is sometimes called St Vigeans 1....
, a class 2 cross-slab, one of only two Pictish symbol-stones to carry a non-oghamOghamOgham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
inscription. Key from Arbroath AbbeyArbroath AbbeyArbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court...
or keyholder in village (Historic ScotlandHistoric ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
).
Distribution
Pictish Symbol stones have been found throughout Scotland, although their original locations are concentrated largely in the North East of the country in lowland areas.Areas that show particular concentrations include Strathtay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
, Strathmore
Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross
Strathmore is a strath in east central Scotland running from northeast to southwest between the Grampian mountains and the Sidlaws....
, coastal Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Strathdee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
, Garioch
Garioch
Garioch is the name of one of six committee areas in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has a population of 46,254 .Centred on Inverurie, a traditional rural market town whose foundation dates back to the 9th century with the establishment of Christianity at Polnar, "The Kirk of Rocharl" - now St...
, Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, Strathspey
Strathspey
Strathspey may refer to one of the following:* Strathspey, Scotland, an area in the Highlands of Scotland;* Strathspey ....
, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.
Two Pictish Class I stones are known to have been removed from Scotland. These are Burghead
Burghead
Burghead is a small town in Moray, Scotland, about 8 miles north-west of Elgin. The town is mainly built on a Peninsula which projects north-westward into the Moray Firth, meaning that most of the town has sea on 3 sides. The present town was built between 1805 and 1809, destroying in the...
5 (Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
), showing the figure of a bull, now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and the Crosskirk stone (Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
), presented to the KIng of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in the 19h century, but whose location is currently unknown.
Gallery
External links
- The Highland Council Archaeology Unit — This webpage offers a leaflet in PDF-format about a Pictish Trail from Inverness to Golspie
- The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland — RCAHMS is the principal source of collections for Scotland’s archaeology, buildings and maritime heritage, including Pictish Stones.
- Undiscovered Scotland — Page about the Meigle Pictish Stones Museum with links to other relevant online resources
- University of Strathclyde — Pictish Stones Search Facility, a useful catalogue of the stones.
- New Written Language of Ancient Scotland Discovered. Once thought to be rock art, carved depictions of soldiers, horses and other figures are in fact part of a written language dating back to the Iron Age.(J. Viegas, News in Discovery.com, Wed Mar 31, 2010).