Golspie

Golspie 2, Sutherland, Pictish symbol stone

Measurements: H 1.30m, W 0.60m, D 0.05m

Stone type: sandstone

Place of discovery: NC 8338 0018

Present location: Dunrobin Museum (ARC 541), Dunrobin Castle.

Evidence for discovery: uncovered by ploughing in 1942, the slab had been re-used as the cover of a short cist.

Present condition: good.

Description

This slab has a rough surface but nonetheless the carver was able to incise lightly the assured lines of four symbols. An ornate crescent and V-rod is carved above a Pictish beast, and in front of and below the head of the beast are a mirror and a single-sided comb.

Date: seventh century.

References: Davidson 1943; Fraser 2008, no 141.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016

NC80SW 9 8338 0018.

(NC 8338 0018) Short Cist with Symbol Stone found AD 1942 (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1969)

A small cist, capped by Class I symbol stone, was found by John P Morrison during ploughing in April 1942. The cist, roughly paved and lightly built, lay E-W, measured 3ft by 13ins by 14ins deep and was set in sand. The symbol slab has been neatly trimmed with square-cut top-corners. It is of micaceous sandstone and measures 3ft 9 1/2ins to 4ft 3 1/2ins in length by about 24ins wide by 2 3/8ins thick. The incised symbols, on one face only, consisist of crescent and V-rod, 'elephant' mirror and comb. The fact that it lay across and was twice the size of the cist suggested that it was not the original capstone. It is now mounted and on display in Dunrobin Museum.

J M Davidson 1943.

The find-spot of the cist is now occupied by Golspie High School. The symbol stone is still in Dunrobin Museum.

Site Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (R B) 19 February 1966.

Accession no: 1942.1 Metric measurements - 1.30m x 0.6m x 0.05m.

(Undated) information from TS of Catalogue of Dunrobin Museum, by A S Henshall

Class I symbol stone bearing a crescent and V-rod,an elephant and a mirror-and -comb.

A Mack 1997.