Skaill Description of stone
Event ID 1017226
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1017226
Skaill 1 (St Mary), Deerness, Orkney, hogback gravestone
Measurements: L 1.73m, W 0.36m to 0.50m, H 0.20m to 0.23m
Stone type: red sandstone
Place of discovery: HY 5886 0635
Present location: in the Session House attached to the present St Ninian’s Church.
Evidence for discovery: it was seen in the graveyard by George Low in 1774, and remained there, in the north-east corner and aligned ENE-WSW, until the mid twentieth century when it was moved into the Session House. The earlier church of St Mary, sketched by Low, had two round towers at its west end and dated probably to the twelfth century, and there was presumably an earlier church on the site.
Present condition: worn but intact.
Description
The ridge is slightly arched and there are four rows of tegulae along both long sides, mostly rectangular with clipped corners. Both ridge and ends are plain. It may be noted that Low describes the stone as carved on one side only.
Date: late eleventh or early twelfth century.
References: Low 1879, 54; Lang 1974, 232.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2017
