Conservation

Date 27 August 2008 - 29 August 2008

Event ID 579120

Category Building History

Type Conservation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/579120

NL 6072 8745 This Pictish symbol stone has lain on the side of the chapel and graveyard mound for over 100 years. Concerns have been voiced by the community about the safety of the stone since the 1990s. Upon acquisition of the three southernmost islands in the Western Isles, the NTS made a commitment to erect the stone to ensure its long-term protection.

A small trench 0.7 x 0.45m and 0.3m in depth was excavated towards the edge of the mound, through windblown sands that contained a couple of pieces of broken china, sea shells and three pieces of unarticulated human bone. The latter were replaced in the bottom of the trench. The stone was then prepared for erection and moved to an upright position, protected by a sleeve from the lime concrete setting. This work took place 27–29 August 2008.

Archive: NTS, SMR and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Jill Harden (The National Trust for Scotland), 2008