Report on the Sculptured Stokes Older Than A.D. 1100
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2 42 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , MAY'11, 1891. I. REPORT ON THE SCULPTURED STOKES OLDER THAN A.D. 1100, WITH SYMBOL CELTID SAN C ORNAMENT DISTRICE TH N I , F TO SCOTLAND NORTH OF THE RIYER DEE ; OBTAINED UNDER E VICTORITH A JUBILE EXCELLENCS E HI GIF F . TO H . R R YD GUNNING, F.S.A. SCOT. B . YJ ROMILL Y ALLEN, F.S.A. SOOT. honoue Havinth d f beinrgha o g appointe Gunnine th o dt g Fellowship by the Council of the Society of Antiquaries, with a view to making an archaeological surveearle th yf yo sculpture d stone f Scotlandso o t g be I , submi e followinth t g wore reporth I kf hav o t e done durin pase gth t year. As a necessary preliminary I compiled a list of the sculptured stones older than A.D. 1100, with symbol d Celtian s c ornament, which have been already describe d illustrate an de Proceedings th n i de th f o Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and in the late Dr Stuart's Sculptured Stones of Scotland, published by the Spalding Club. In this list were included three classes of monuments—(1) those with incised symbols; (2) those with symbol d Celtian s c ornament sculpture reliefn di d an ; ) thos(3 e with ornamen reliefn i t t withoubu , t symbols e objecTh f .o t o givet s concisels e a lis, th wa t s possibleya , sufficient particularo t s identify each stone by stating its exact geographical position, and adding a reference to the work in which, it was illustrated, thus forming a basis for future operations. The preliminary list was circulated by the Counci e Societth f o l y amongst archaeologist n differeni s t part f Scotso - land, wite vie th hf elicitinw o g further information about unpublished stones d correctinan , y inaccuraciean g s that might have escapee th d notice of the compiler. The names of the folio wing, persons, who have offered most valuable assistance in reply to this appeal, should be grate- fully mentioned:—Rev . MJ r . SutherlandD Joass.A r D , ,. EevG . J . Michie . MacdonaldJ r M , , Provos . Eoss r A Wt M ., Mackay. R r M , Barclay, Mr Hugh W. Young, Mr A. Hutcheson, the Right Hon. the Earl of Southesk, Mr W. C. Joass, Rev. Dr G. Gordon, Dr A. Macnaughton, Dr D. Christison, Mr R. C. Graham, Miss Russell, and Miss Maclagan. intentione Councie Th th f o appointin n Gunnini le th o t e ggm Fellow- . E SCULPTUREREPORTH N O T D STONES OLDER THAN A.D. 11003 42 . ship was that I should collect materials for a full descriptive catalogue of e sculptureth d stone f Scotlando s , illustrate correcy b d t outliness a o t , unifor s practicable mscala wa s e monumenta e th e f designo th , d san s upon them. Sinc r Stuart'D e s grea e tsubjec th wor s publishen o kwa e t th y b d Spalding Club, several new stones have been discovered, which require addee tob mako dt t completeei , and, invaluabl r Stuart'D s ea s volumes must always be, many particulars are omitted in the descriptions that might easily be obtained. The plates in Dr Stuart's book are not uniformly accurate, especiall s regardya e minoth s r details whicn o , o hs much often depends. The invention of photography has been followed by a much higher standard of excellence in the representation of archaeo- logical subjects n advancr a knowledg ou d e technican an i th e; f o e l minutia f Celtio e c ornament obtained fro e illuminatema studth f yo d MSS. has enabled us to draw the patterns on the stones more correctly. s suggestewa t I d tha I tshoul d mak a toue f inspectioo r e th f o n sculptured stones of Scotland, in order to ascertain the present posi- tions of those monuments that have been moved in recent years; to get the particulars omitted by Dr Stuart; to compare all his plates with the originals, so as to gauge their reliability; and to make drawings of stones not yet illustrated. Having made the proposed survey of the stones in pare f Scotlanth o t resulte d th Eivee nort y th sla f hro befor w Deeno I e, Societye th . My method has been to make sketches of the stones, with all the necessary dimensions and notes, supplemented by rubbings of the sculptured designs. After outlining the rubbings in ink, I have had them photographe scala f o d-Jt o e- ful l e photographsizeTh . e thesar n traced, and the necessary additions or corrections made by help of the sketches. During the months of July, August, and September last year (1890) I visited localitie e mos th mor r f o t o all0 n ei s(6 ) include northere th dn i d nan north-eastern section preliminare th f so y list, which compris districe eth t of Scotland lying north of the river Dee. It was unnecessary for me Shetlando t o g o t , Orkney e islandsth f Hebridese , o witth , as ,y han r o , exceptioe e th islan crose th th f n e Canna dstoneo f so nth o l sal , have 4 42 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH 11 Y F , O SMA 1891 , . been remove o Edinburghdt laboury M : s were therefore confine- ex d clusivel e mainland, th play o f m yt operationn o d o commenct an s swa e furthese th t a t point nort gradualld han y work southwards. I arrived at Thurso by train from London on the evening of Monday, July 7the stonth . ew Herfrosa I me Skinnee th t Chapeln i w no , Thurso Museum; and the Ulbster stone, now standing in the grounds of Thurso Castle e forme Th s broke. wa r n into several pieces, which were piled one above the other, and stowed away under a table in the middl e so-calleth f eo d museum—i ill-kepn a f t lumber-roo dignie b n m-ca fied by such a name. When the fragments were brought to the light, thica d kan coatin f clao g y removed fro surfacee s mfortunatth wa I , e enough to discover that the back was ornamented with symbols, the existence of which does not appear to have been previously known. One of the symbols is particularly interesting as being the same which occurs on the stone at Sandside, in Eeay, although other instances have not been observed elsewhere. Ulbstee Th r ston s beeha en very barbarously deface haviny b d s it g nam t upoecu t righni e sculptureth t f acroso e son d places i faces d dan , moun a e mosf th o tn p d i expose to e onth d position possible. From Thurs I otoo e mail-carkth Bettyhillo t t a distanc, f aboueo t 0 mile3 s alon e nortth g h coas f Caithnesso t , returnin nexe th g t day. Bettyhilo t y wa Oe I lstoppe nth t Eeaya d , where ther fina s ei e cross- slab in the old churchyard that has not yet been illustrated. At Betty- hill I visited the Farr stone, and found it to be a much more beautiful t thaworar f nko woul e supposedb d fro e platmth n Stuartei • . I left Bettyhil Juln o l y llth, going Thursoa vi , Golspieo t , , wherI e spent a day in taking notes of the stones in the museum at Dunrobin Castle. This collection is housed in a separate building in the grounds of the castle, and has been admirably arranged by the Eev. Dr Joass. e Sutherlanth l Al e museumplaceth w d no stonen i d e ,ar sexcep e th t one at Farr, and the pillar in the garden of the castle. I need only mention the monuments that have not been hitherto described. They are 1numben 1i r altogethe rbelongin 8 ; Claso gt s I.—from Kintradwell 3, Little Ferry Clynd Linkan , e4 s Churchyar belongin3 d an ; o dt 1 g Class III.—from Clyne Church 1, Collieburn 1, and Loth Beg 1. The E SCULPTUREREPORTH N O T D STONES OLDER THAN A.D. 11005 42 . stone from Collieburn is the lower part of a large upright cross-slab, ornamented with fine circular knotwork and key patterns. On the blank space at the bottom there is a Swastica cross incised. The small cross-slab from Clyne Church has some beautiful spiral designs upon it. All the localities where the stones near Golspie were found are situated near the sea-shore, in a district abounding with traces of the ancient inhabitants, suc s brochsa h , underground houses . Littl&c , e Ferry Link wila s di s a raisee tracsit f th f elano o t d n o dsea-beach , from whic hvasa t collectio f workeno d flint bees ha s n obtaine Edine th r -fo d burgh Museu f mNationao e Dunrobith f lo Antiquitiesm n ge e Th . Museum is undoubtedly the Ogham inscribed upright cross-slab, which came originally from Craigton, and for a long time subsequently stood in Golspie churchyard. I was considerably surprised to find it so large, y mind'havin m e Stuart' n ey i sg s n plateothei s a r, instancesl I have found original stones much smaller tha I nexpected e Th .