The Eagle Stone | |
---|---|
Clach an Tiompain | |
Material | Blue gneiss |
Height | 32 inches (81 cm) |
Width | 24 inches (61 cm) |
Symbols |
|
Created | 500-700AD |
Present location | Strathpeffer, Easter Ross grid ref NH48455852 [1] |
Coordinates | 57°35′29″N4°32′8″W / 57.59139°N 4.53556°W Coordinates: 57°35′29″N4°32′8″W / 57.59139°N 4.53556°W |
Classification | Class I incised stone |
Culture | Picto-Scottish |
Clach an Tiompain (in English, the "Sounding Stone") or The Eagle Stone is a small Class I Pictish stone [1] located on a hill on the northern outskirts of Strathpeffer in Easter Ross, Scotland.
The stone is made of blue gneiss and is 32 inches (81 cm) high, 24 inches (61 cm) wide, and 10 inches (25 cm) thick. [1] Carved on the southeast side are two images, a horse shoe-like arc symbol above an eagle.
The stone was originally located further down the hill, towards Dingwall, but was moved to its current site in 1411. [2] One old tradition is that the stone marks the site of a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1411 between the Clan Munro and a branch of the Clan MacDonald, and that the stone commemorates a Munro victory as it is marked with their symbol, an eagle. [3] According to Norman Macrae the stone was placed there by the Munros while marching against Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles. [4]
The stone is associated with the prophecies of the 16th century Brahan Seer (Scottish Gaelic : Coinneach Odhar). He predicted that if the stone fell three times, the surrounding valley would be flooded, and the stone used as an anchor.
It has since fallen twice, and is now set in concrete.
Dingwall is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts of which may date back to the 12th century. In 1411 the Battle of Dingwall is said to have taken place between the Clan Mackay and the Clan Donald.
Ross is a region of Scotland. One of the provinces of Scotland from the 9th century, it gave its name to a later earldom and to the counties of Ross-shire and, later, Ross and Cromarty. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning "headland", perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. Another possible origin is the West Norse word for Orkney – Hrossey – meaning horse island; the area once belonged to the Norwegian earldom of Orkney. Ross is a historical comital region, perhaps predating the Mormaerdom of Ross. It is also a region used by the Church, with the Presbytery of Ross being part of the Synod of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness.
The Battle of Harlaw was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland against those from the west coast.
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.
Strathpeffer is a village and spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.
The Clan Macrae is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan has no chief; it is therefore considered an armigerous clan.
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.
The Clach a' Mheirlich or Rosskeen Stone is a standing stone in a field near Rosskeen, Easter Ross, 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.
The Dingwall Stone is a Class I Pictish stone located in Dingwall, Easter Ross. It is thought by some to be of Bronze Age origin, and contains several cup and ring marks alleged to date from that period. If it had been used in the Bronze Age, the Picts later reused it. On one side it has a crescent and v-rod, and on the other a double disc and Z-rod with another two crescents and Z-rods below. It was being used as a lintel over a doorway in the church when it was identified in 1880.
Clach an Trushal is said to be the tallest standing stone in Scotland. Above ground it stands approximately 5.8 metres tall, is 1.83 m wide and at its thickest point is 1.5 m thick, with a girth at its base of 4.75 m. The stone is sited in the village of Ballantrushal on the west side of Lewis. Local legend says that it marks the site of a great battle, the last to be fought between the feuding clans of the Macaulays and Morrisons. However it is actually the solitary upright stone remaining from a stone circle built about 5,000 years ago. It occupied a place within the circle, although its placement was not central. The second last standing stone was removed in 1914, and used as a lintel.
The Battle of Bealach nam Broig was a battle fought between Scottish clans from the lands of north-west Ross, against north-eastern clans of Ross who supported the Earl of Ross. The actual date of the battle is debated, it probably occurred in 1452 but the Conflicts of the Clans suggests a date as early as 1299.
The Battle of Dingwall was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in the year 1411, in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between the Clan Mackay and the Clan Donald.
Inverinate is a small linear village on the north shore of Loch Duich in Lochalsh, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Knockfarrel is a village, 1 mile east of Strathpeffer, in Dingwall in Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Dingwall Castle was a medieval fort and royal castle in the town of Dingwall, eastern Ross-shire, Scotland.
Dunachton is an estate on the north-west shore of Loch Insh in Badenoch and Strathspey, in the Highlands of Scotland. It occupies land immediately to the north of the A9 road and General Wade's Military Road.
The Dunnichen Stone is a class I Pictish symbol stone that was discovered in 1811 at Dunnichen, Angus. It probably dates to the 7th century AD.
The Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones are a series of Class II and III Pictish stones found in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. Their existence points to Kirriemuir being an important ecclesiastical centre in the late first millennium AD.
The Battle of Drumchatt, or Druim-a-Chait, was a Scottish clan battle claimed by non-contemporary historians to have taken place in the year 1501 near Strathpeffer, in the Scottish Highlands. It was allegedly fought between the Clan Mackenzie and the Clan Munro. Mackenzie chronicles have claimed a signal victory.