Tillypronie
Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Site Name Tillypronie
Classification Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)
Alternative Name(s) Mill Of Newton; Tom-a-char; Tillypronie House
Canmore ID 17003
Site Number NJ40NW 7
NGR NJ 4324 0795
NGR Description Removed from NJ 430 048
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/17003
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Logie-coldstone
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Kincardine And Deeside
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Tillypronie, Aberdeenshire, Pictish symbol stone
Measurements: H 1.05m, W 0.63m max
Stone type: whinstone
Place of discovery: NJ 430 048
Present location: in Migvie Church.
Evidence for discovery: first recorded by Stuart in the mid nineteenth century, when it was built into the wall of the farm-steading at Mill of Newton, but it was said originally to have stood on a hillock known as Tom a Char to the west of the farm. Later in the century it was moved to the grounds of Tillypronie House, where it stood until 2006, when it was transferred to the church at Migvie (Canmore 16994).
Present condition: worn and damaged along the left-hand side.
Description
This stone bears two Pictish symbols: an indented rectangle and Z-rod over a crescent and V-rod.
Date: seventh century.
References: ECMS pt 3, 179-80; Fraser 2008, no 45.
Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2019
NJ40NW 7 4324 0795 Removed from 430 048
For fragment of Pictish symbol stone from Coynach Hill (NJ c. 4435 0591) held at Tillpronie House, see NJ40NW 37.
A Pictish symbol stone stood on rising ground called Tom a Char (NJ 430 048), a little to the W of the Mill of Newton. It was removed and built into the farmhouse wall of the Mill of Newton, and finally erected on a modern base in the garden of Tillypronie House (NJ 43 07). It is 3 foot 4 inches high, 1 foot 8 inches wide by 1 foot 2 inches thick.
NSA 1845; J R Allen and J Anderson 1903.
This is a whinstone slab 1m x 0.5m x 0.25m bearing a 2-pronged rectangle with floriated Z-rod and below, the crescent and V-rod symbol.
Information from R Jones 1980.
Field Visit (5 September 1968)
This symbol stone, as described and illustrated by Allen, is at NJ 4324 0795.
Survyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (N K B) 5 September 1968.
Reference (1997)
Class I symbol stone.showing on S.E face a divided rectangle and Z-rod over a crescent and V-rod.
A Mack 1997; (Undated) information in NMRS.
Field Visit (6 September 2000)
This symbol stone stands on a bank on the N side of the main driveway, 50m W of Tillypronie House (NJ40NW 112.00). In its present form it is an irregularly shaped slab measuring 0.60m in breadth by 0.38m in thickness and 0.87m in height. The reverse face is deeply concave, and the broken left-hand edge indicates that it once formed part of a larger block. The stone displays two incised symbols, namely a notched rectangle and Z-rod, above a crescent and V-rod. The rectangle has semi-circular indents at the mid-point of each vertical side, and its 'legs' to either side of the long round-headed 'notch' contain two small incised arcs; the upper half is divided into two by a single vertical line. The Z-rod, which crosses the rectangle above the semi-circular indents, is embellished with curved 'brackets' at its angles, and a pair of S-shaped scrolls at each terminal. The right hand, upper, terminal is further decorated with a crescent.
The crescent is decorated with a series of internal arcs, and the V-rod that cuts across it has a curved bracket at its angle, the terminals of which rest on the lower arc of the crescent. The right-hand terminal bears a pair of S-shaped scrolls similar to those of the Z-rod, but with the addition of a leaf-shaped 'arrow-head' with central dot. The left-hand terminal is missing.
The stone is reported to have originally stood on a low hillock, Tom a Char, near Logie Coldstone (NJ 430 048). Thereafter, it was taken to Mill of Newton (NJ 432 047) and built into the gable wall of a house forming part of the farm offices (NSA 1845, 1070-1), where it was recorded by Stuart (J Stuart 1857, 7). The stone was presumably trimmed to its present shape when it was built into the gable. By 1903 the stone had been taken to its present location at Tillypronie House (J R Allan and J Anderson 1903, 179-80).
Visited by RCAHMS (Ifr), 6 September 2000).
