Kintradwell Links
Pictish Symbol Stone(S) (Pictish)
Site Name Kintradwell Links
Classification Pictish Symbol Stone(S) (Pictish)
Alternative Name(s) Kintradwell 2; Kintradwell 3; Kintradwell 4
Canmore ID 6943
Site Number NC90NW 14
NGR NC 9316 0838
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/6943
- Council Highland
- Parish Loth
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
NC90NW 14 9316 0838
(NC 9316 0838) Symbol Stones found AD 1872 and AD 1873 (NAT).
OS 6" map, 1964.
A symbol stone was found in 1872, close to the railway on the S side, on Kintradwell beach about 1/4 mile NE of Cinn Trolla Broch (NC90NW 5). Now in Dunrobin Museum Acc No 1872.2 Metric measurements 1.13m x 0.62m x 0.10m. It is a slab of red sandstone of irregular oval shape, 3ft 8ins long by 2ft 2ins wide by 3 1/2ins thick, sculptured with incised lines on one face which is very uneven. On this face are the crescent and V-shaped rod symbol and the mirror and comb symbol, placed side by side. The crescent is ornamented with curved lines. The mirror has a double disc handle and the comb has teeth on one side only.
('A') NC90NW 14.2 In 1873, in the same vicinity as the previous find, another sculptured slab of irregular triangular shape, 2ft 9ins long by 1ft 3ins wide by 4ins thick, sculptured with incised lines on one face was found. The S-shaped symbol ornamented with straight and curved lines had a semi-circular hollow in the end of the 'S' and just below it on the right, the mirror or triple disc symbol. ('B') NC90NW 14.1 Dunrobin Museum 1873.3. Metric dimensions : 0.84m x 0.41m x 0.10m.
Another symbol stone was found in 1873 in the same area. It is a fragment of sandstone of irregular shape, 1ft 6ins long by 1ft wide by 2ins thick. On the face are four parallel straight lines, two of which are closed at one end, probably forming part of the tuning fork symbol. ('C') NC90NW 14.3 Dunrobin Museum 1873.4. Metric dimensions 0.43m x 0.31m x 0.05m.
The three stones are in the Dunrobin Museum.
J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; RCAHMS 1911.
The symbol stone 'A' is numbered No 9, in Dunrobin Castle Museum; 'B' is No 8, and 'C' is No 10. The exhibit card states that they were found near each other at the spot described ie about NC 9316 0838.
Visited by OS (W D J) 3 April 1962.
New Accession nos: 'A' 1872.2, 'B' 1873.3, 'C' 1873.4. 'A' and 'C' were donated by a Major Houston, and 'B' and by Dr J Aitken, Inverness.
(Undated) information from TS of Catalogue of Dunrobin Museum, by A S Henshall.
Three class I symbol stones showing :
Kintradwell 2 - a frament bearing an ogee over a triple disc
Kintradwell 3 - a mirror-and-comb over a crescent and V-rod
Kintradwell 4 - a fragment bearing the prongs of a tuning fork
A Mack 1997.
