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Balquhidder, Old Parish Church, Churchyard
Burial Ground (Early Medieval), Churchyard (Period Unassigned), Cross (Period Unassigned), Cross Incised Stone(S) (Early Medieval)
Site Name Balquhidder, Old Parish Church, Churchyard
Classification Burial Ground (Early Medieval), Churchyard (Period Unassigned), Cross (Period Unassigned), Cross Incised Stone(S) (Early Medieval)
Canmore ID 80644
Site Number NN52SW 1.01
NGR NN 53570 20912
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/80644
- Council Stirling
- Parish Balquhidder
- Former Region Central
- Former District Stirling
- Former County Perthshire
Balquhidder 1, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.69m, W 0.52m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south of the old church.
Evidence for discovery:
Present condition: the lower part of face A has sheared off.
Description
This slab bears an incised linear cross with transverse bars across the arms and the lower part of the shaft.
Date: early medieval
References: Stuart 1867, pl 67, no 4; ECMS pt 3, 342.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 9, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.32m, W 0.41m, D 0.13m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: reused as sill stone for church window.
Evidence for discovery: recorded by RCAHMS in 2014.
Present condition: worn, and the stone also has knife-sharpening grooves.
Description
This slab bears an incised linear cross towards one end.
Date: seventh century or later
References:
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 10, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.40m, W 0.53m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: recorded by RCAHMS in 2014.
Present condition: very worn and battered at one end.
Description
This slab appears to have been an early medieval cross-slab with two incised equal-armed crosses, to which have been added a sword in false relief and two deeply cut circles.
Date: possibly early medieval and later.
References:
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 2, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.80m, W 0.59m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: recorded in graveyard in mid nineteenth century.
Present condition: worn
Description
This tapering slab bears a pecked outline cross with small rounded armpits and a short upper arm.
Date: early medieval.
References: Stuart 1867, pl 68, no 8; ECMS pt 3, 342.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 3, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.66m, W 0.60m, D 0.09m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: despite the inaccurate drawing, this appears to have been the cross-slab seen by Stuart in the mid nineteenth century. The early cross-slab has been reused, perhaps in the eighteenth century, as a recumbent gravestone, with the addition of the incised initials R M and a pair of shears carved in relief.
Present condition: very worn
Description
The original cross-slab was carved in relief with an outline cross with small rounded armpits. Stuart’s drawing renders the cross as a linear cross with two bars.
Date: early medieval and later.
References: Stuart 1867, pl 68, no 7.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 4, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: H 1.59m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard.
Evidence for discovery: reported by Niall Robertson in 1991.
Present condition:
Description
This slab bears a sunken cross with expanded terminals and a shaft which expands towards the base where there is a short tenon.
Date: early medieval
References: DES 1991, 9, no 1.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 5, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: H 1.83m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard.
Evidence for discovery: reported by Niall Robertson in 1991.
Present condition: worn.
Description
The slab bears an outline cross with small rounded armpits, created by pecking. The upper arm is shorter than the side arms.
Date: early medieval.
References: DES 1991, 9 no 2.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 6, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: H 1.41m, W 0.52m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: reported by Niall Robertson in 1991.
Present condition: worn and broken into two.
Description
The slab bears a pecked equal-armed crosslet set at an angle at the top left of the slab.
Date: early medieval?
References: DES 1991, 9 no 3.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 7, Perthshire, cross-slab fragment
Measurements: L 0.76m, W 0.56m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard south-esst of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: recorded by RCAHMS in the kirkyard in 2014.
Present condition: right-hand edge is broken and the left-hand arm has been defaced.
Description
This slab, which was probably square, bears an equal-armed cross carved in relief, with a small incised cross at the centre.
Date: seventh or eighth century.
References:
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 8, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.75m, W 0.51m, D c 0.12m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard.
Evidence for discovery: recorded by RCAHMS in 2014.
Present condition: extremely worn.
Description
This slab bears bears an outline cross in relief of which only the right arm and the four small sunken armpits survive intact.
Date: early medieval
References:
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
Balquhidder 8, Perthshire, cross-slab
Measurements: L 1.75m, W 0.51m, D c 0.12m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NN 5357 2091
Present location: recumbent in kirkyard outside the east end of the old church.
Evidence for discovery: recorded by RCAHMS in 2014.
Present condition: extremely worn.
Description
This slab bears bears an outline cross in relief of which only the right arm and the four small sunken armpits survive intact.
Date: early medieval
References:
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
NN52SW 1.01 53570 20912
In the churchyard are:
(1) A very smooth slab, wedge-shaped at the top, but with a pointed lower end, measuring 159cm in length. At the top is a long-shafted cross, with expanded terminals and a tenon extending downwards from the shaft. The cross measures 55cm by 33cm and is 'sunken', (pecked out to a uniform depth). It is well preserved, and the original tool marks can still be seen.
(2) A tapered slab with a faint cross in relief towards the broader end. The cross arms are slightly expanded at the ends, the shaft tapers, and the side arms are longer than the upper one. Length of slab 183cm. Length of cross c54cm, breadth 35cm.
(3) In line with (2), near the ruined church. A rough slab, now split in two, with a simple, well-preserved pecked cross set diagonally at one end. Cross 10.5cm by 10.5cm. Original length of slab c140cm.
All these stones lie E-W.
N M Robertson 1991.
