Fortingall Churchyard
Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Churchyard (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Fortingall Churchyard
Classification Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Churchyard (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Fortingall Parish Churchyard
Canmore ID 166619
Site Number NN74NW 41
NGR NN 74176 47012
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/166619
- Council Perth And Kinross
- Parish Fortingall
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Perth And Kinross
- Former County Perthshire
NN74NW 41.00 74176 47012
NN74NW 41.01 742 470 Stones: Cross-incised
NN74NW 41.02 7421 4702 Font
NN74NW 41.03 742 471 Cross-slab
NN74NW 41.04 742 471 Cross-slab
NN74NW 21 74178 47027 Stewart of Garth Burial Enclosure and Fortingall Yew
For Fortingall Parish Church (NN 74202 47023), cross-slab and handbell, see NN74NW 10.
NN 7420 4700 Ivy clearance of the churchyard boundary wall at Fortingall Parish Church has revealed three hitherto unrecognised early medieval sculptures. They are numbered here in sequence with the existing Fortingall sculpture assemblage. All three are of schist.
Fortingall 9. Currently broken into three pieces; c L 176cm; W 29-35cm; Th 3cm. The upper surface of the slab is carved with three recessed equal-armed Latin crosses. The far right cross appears to have a tenon depicted which would suggest that the orientation of the slab is longitudinal, making the cross in question the uppermost one on the slab. Several depictions of tenons on cross-slabs are known.
Fortingall 10. Carved with three recessed equal-armed Latin crosses. L 157cm; W 64cm; Th 9cm. Triple crosses are found on several other Scottish slabs and other media in Insular art.
Fortingall 11. Squarish fragment of a much reduced slab, mortared-in as one of the topstones of the boundary wall; 44 x 51cm. In the middle of the slab, at a slight angle, is an incised cross with shaft, 15 x 6cm. Presumably the stone was originally another recumbent gravemarker.
With 11 extant stones (there is a 12th, missing), Fortingall is now, in a Perthshire context, only surpassed in quantity by the collection of sculptures from Meigle.
M Hall, J Borland and N Robertson 2004
Graveyard Survey (20 August 2013 - 29 August 2014)
NN 74176 47012 A measured survey of Fortingall Kirkyard was made, 20–23 August 2013, recording the position of all aboveground gravestones, carved stones and other stones of possibleinterest. Work on recording details of each gravestone began, and continues, using the Scottish Graveyards recording form.
In 2014, work began on a survey of gravestones buried up to 150mm deep, following the protocols established by the Moray Burial Group. The first phase was carried out, 7–11 April 2014, with volunteers from the Fortingall
Roots Committee and from the local community, beginning in the SE portion of the graveyard. A total of 11 buried gravestones and 2 paving slabs were uncovered and recorded. An exposed horizontal slab was also recorded.
Four gravestones bore inscribed initials, three dates: DR 1732; IMG 1827; IMG; AR1762. The latter also had a depiction of a plough-share.
Further work was carried out, 25–29 August 2014, with volunteers from Fortingall Roots and with pupils from Breadalbane Academy, Aberfeldy and Pitlochry High School.
Three buried and four exposed tombstones were recorded, three of which bore initials and dates: DC 1710; DC GMcN 1752; NNMG 1792. All stones were drawn at a scale of 1:10, and photographed. All buried stones have been covered. Further survey is planned for 2015.
Fortingall Roots is a partnership of The Breadalbane Heritage Society, The Breadalbane Development Association, Fortingall Kirk Session, The James McLaren Society and Glenlyon School. It aims are to further research into the archaeology and history of Fortingall and Glen Lyon.
Archive: Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (intended)
Funder: Fortingall Roots Committee
Clare Thomas – Fortingall Roots
(Source: DES)
Note (January 2020)
Details of all gravestones recorded in the 2014 survey are now mapped on a website created for Fortingall Roots. https://fortingall-graveyard.org.uk/
Information from Fortingall Roots, January 2020
