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Inverallan Churchyard, Pictish Symbol Stone

Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)

Site Name Inverallan Churchyard, Pictish Symbol Stone

Classification Pictish Symbol Stone (Pictish)

Alternative Name(s) Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone And Cross-incised Slab; Inverallan Kirkyard

Canmore ID 15703

Site Number NJ02NW 4.01

NGR NJ 0266 2602

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15703

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Cromdale, Inverallan And Advie
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Badenoch And Strathspey
  • Former County Morayshire

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Inverallan 1, Moray, Pictish symbol stone

Measurements: H 1.06m, W 0.50m, D 0.14m

Stone type: blue slate

Place of discovery: NJ 0266 2602

Present location: set into a niche in the churchyard wall

Evidence for discovery: found around 1888 in the foundations of the ruined church of Inverallan and placed leaning against the churchyard wall

Present condition: severely weathered.

Description

This undressed slab is incised with a crescent and V-rod above a notched rectangle with Z-rod.

Date: seventh century.

References: Mitchell 1889; ECMS pt 3, 103-4; Fraser 2008, no 94.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2018.

Archaeology Notes

NJ02NW 4.01 0266 2602

A symbol stone was found in c.1888 in Inverallan churchyard and has now been built into the north west wall of the graveyard. It measures 1.06m x 0.5m x 0.14m, and is made of blue slate. Although much weathered, the crescent and V-rod, and the 2 legged rectangle and Z-rod are still discernible. A cast of this stone is held in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS, IB97).

A Mitchell and J Drummond 1875; A Mitchell 1888; J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; RCAHMS 1985.

Activities

Reference (1997)

Class I symbol stone bearing a crescent and V-rod above a divided rectangle and Z-rod.

A Mack 1997.

Publication Account (2007)

The Ballintomb and Inverallan stones both bear a crescent and V-rod above a notched rectangle and Z-rod whilst Findlarig displays the same two symbols in reverse order, making an interesting sub-group. Unlike the others, Inverallan is poorly carved, its undecorated crescent being asymmetrical and rather angular but the crescent on the Findlarig fragment is most noteworthy as, when reconstructed it measures 760mm from tip to tip, more than twice the size of the others and certainly one of the largest symbols to appear on any class I stone. One could interpret this outsized symbol as having particular emphasis placed uponit, but equally, the sculptor may just have been utilising the available area, in this instance making the most of what was clearly a wide slab.

Information from ‘Commissioners’ Field Meeting 2007'.

References

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