Publication Account
Date 2004
Event ID 1019659
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1019659
The overwhelming majority (of carved stones) are Christian, coming from the sites of parish churches, and the Dunnichen symbol stone, originally found covering a cist some distance from the parish church, appears unusual in this company. The collection from Kirriemuir, now running to eighteen, reveals a similar story of damage to that from St Vigeans, the cross-slabs having been broken up for reuse as building stones. As at St Vigeans, the range of sculpture is quite wide, and again it has been possible to reconstruct the designs of some of the smallest fragments, particularly with reference to more complete slabs within the collection (see illustrations 6, 16 and 18). For compariosn, a digitial scan of the possible ogham inscription found n the course of this work is reproduced here.
The survey has also thrown up the contrast between the areas of north and south of the Mounth. Here, to the south, the main weight of sculpture is Christian, associated with the sites of churches and chapels. Symbol stones are found, but they tend to be in other locations. In Aberdeenshire there are very few cross-slabs, by far the majority of the sculpture comprising rough slabs and boulders bearing symbols. And yet, in numerous instances these apparently pagan stones have been found in or near a churchyard.
Information from ‘RCAHMS Excursion Guide 2004: Commissioners' Field Excursion, Perth and Angus, 31 August – 2 September 2004’.
