Ardlair Stone

Last updated

The Ardlair Stone
Symbol Stone (geograph 4712143).jpg
Ardlair Stone
MaterialGrey Gneiss
Symbols
  • Pictish beast
  • Tuning fork
  • Mirror
DiscoveredIdentified as Pictish 1901
Present location Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Coordinates 57°20′19″N2°44′27″W / 57.3385°N 2.7409°W / 57.3385; -2.7409
ClassificationClass I incised stone
Culture Picto-Scottish

The Ardlair Stone is a class I Pictish stone that stands in a field in Ardlair, Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is associated with a number of other stones that have been proposed by some to be the remains of a recumbent stone circle.

Contents

Description

A rough hewn stone of grey Gneiss, the stone was identified as Pictish in 1901. [1] The stone bears the incised symbols of the Pictish beast, the tuning fork and the mirror. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverurie</span> Town in northeast Scotland

Inverurie is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about 16 miles (26 km) north-west of Aberdeen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pictish stone</span> Monuments erected by early Scottish tribes

A Pictish stone is a type of monumental stele, generally carved or incised with symbols or designs. A few have ogham inscriptions. Located in Scotland, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line and on the Eastern side of the country, these stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th century, a period during which the Picts became Christianized. The earlier stones have no parallels from the rest of the British Isles, but the later forms are variations within a wider Insular tradition of monumental stones such as high crosses. About 350 objects classified as Pictish stones have survived, the earlier examples of which holding by far the greatest number of surviving examples of the mysterious symbols, which have long intrigued scholars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kincardine and Mearns</span>

Kincardine and Mearns is one of six area committees of the Aberdeenshire council area in Scotland. It has a population of 38,506. There are significant natural features in this district including rivers, forests, mountains and bogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clach a' Charridh</span>

The Clach a' Charridh or Shandwick Stone is a Class II Pictish stone located near Shandwick on the Tarbat peninsula in Easter Ross, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument. Since 1988 it has been encased in a glass cover room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clach Biorach</span> Neolithic standing stone in Scotland

Clach Chairidh, alternatively named Clach Biorach, is a Class I Pictish stone located in a field near the village of Edderton in Easter Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carved stone balls</span> Petrospheres from late Neolithic Scotland

Carved stone balls are petrospheres dated from the late Neolithic, to possibly as late as the Iron Age, mainly found in Scotland, but also elsewhere in Britain and Ireland. They are usually round and rarely oval, and of fairly uniform size at around 2+34 inches or 7 cm across, with anything between 3 and 160 protruding knobs on the surface. They range from having no ornamentation to extensive and highly varied engraved patterns. A wide range of theories has been produced to explain their use or significance, with none gaining very wide acceptance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maiden Stone</span>

The Maiden Stone, also known as the Drumdurno Stone after the nearby farm, is a Pictish standing stone near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, probably dating to the 9th century AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandsbutt Stone</span> Pictish stone in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

The Brandsbutt Stone is a class I Pictish symbol stone in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fordoun Stone</span>

The Fordoun Stone is a class II Pictish cross slab in Fordoun parish church, Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invereen Stone</span>

The Invereen Stone is a Class I incised Pictish stone that was unearthed near Invereen, Inverness in 1932. It is now on display at the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrie, Aberdeenshire</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Tyrie is a hamlet and parish in the Banff and Buchan district of Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. Tyrie is located on the A98 road, around 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-west of Fraserburgh. Tyrie parish includes the larger settlement of New Pitsligo, 5 miles (8.0 km) to the south. There is a primary school in the village. Tyrie's St Andrew's Parish Church was built in 1800 and is a category B listed building. The church contains a Pictish symbol stone, known as the Raven Stone, which was discovered on the site of the old parish church. The ecclesiastical parish was united with Strichen parish in 2002.

The Dandaleith stone is a Class I Pictish stone from Craigellachie, Scotland. It was discovered in May 2013 during ploughing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broomend of Crichie stone</span>

The Broomend of Crichie Stone is a class I Pictish stone that stands within a henge at Broomend of Crichie, Port Elphinstone, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was placed within the henge in the 19th century. The stone bears the incised symbols of the Pictish beast and the crescent and V-rod.

The Cairnton Stone is a class I Pictish stone that was discovered at Cairnton, near Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 2001. The stone bears the incised symbols of the Crescent and V-rod and triple disc. The stone is now in the collection of the Marischal Museum, Aberdeen.

The triple disc is a Pictish symbol of unknown meaning, that is found on Class I and Class II Pictish stones. The symbol is found in various combinations with other symbols, notably with the crescent and v-rod. The symbol is constructed from a larger central circle flanked with two smaller circles on either side. It is sometimes shown with a "bar" bisecting all three circles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burghead Bulls</span>

The Burghead Bulls are a group of carved Pictish stones from the site of Burghead Fort in Moray, Scotland, each featuring an incised image of a bull. Up to 30 were discovered during the demolition of the fort to create the town of Burghead in the 19th century, but most were lost when they were used to build the harbour quayside. Six remain: two in the Visitor Centre in Burghead, two in Elgin Museum, one in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and one in the British Museum in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midmar</span>

Midmar is a historic settlement in Aberdeenshire, lying north of Banchory and southwest of Inverurie. It is noted for its three stone circles and various standing stones. Midmar and Sunhoney are both recumbent stone circles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunnicaer</span> Sea stack and remains of Pictish hill fort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Dunnicaer, or Dun-na-caer, is a precipitous sea stack just off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, between Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven. Despite the unusual difficulty of access, in 1832 Pictish symbol stones were found on the summit and 21st-century archaeology has discovered evidence of a Pictish hill fort which may have incorporated the stones in its structure. The stones may have been incised in the third or fourth centuries AD but this goes against the general archaeological view that the simplest and earliest symbol stones date from the fifth or even seventh century AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birnie Symbol Stone</span>

The Birnie Symbol Stone is a class I Pictish stone, now situated on the north side of the graveyard of Birnie Kirk, in Moray, Scotland. It was discovered in c. 1850 within the wall of the graveyard, from where it was moved to its current location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodhill House</span> Council Offices in Aberdeen, Scotland

Woodhill House is a large office development on Westburn Road in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was built as the headquarters of Grampian Regional Council in 1977 and then became the offices and meeting place of Aberdeenshire Council in 1996.

References

  1. Coles, Fred R. (1902), "Report on stone circles in Aberdeenshire (Inverurie, Eastern Parishes, and Insch Districts), with measured plans and drawings, obtained under the Gunning Fellowship." (PDF), Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. 36, pp. 488–581, retrieved 15 August 2014
  2. Fraser, Iain (2008), The Pictish Symbol Stones of Scotland, Edinburgh: Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland