V. NOTE LULACH'N O S S STONE, , ABERDEENSHIREA ; SYMBOL STONE RECENTLY FOUN N MORTLACDI H CHURCH- YARD, ; AND OTHER ANTIQUITIES. By W. DOUGLAS SIMPSON, M.A., D.LiTT., F.S.A.ScoT.

Lulach's Stone, Kildrummy.— e mosth One f t o impressiv e th f o e solitary standing-stones in is Lulach's Stone, hidden in Drumiiahive Wood, due west of Mossat Bridge, in the parish of Kil- drummy (O.S inches6 . , Aberdeenshire, shee shapeltald a s an lti li.)t I y. pillar of schist, 8 feet 9 inches in height above the present level of e groundth , though older descriptions mak e heighth e feet1 t 1 A t . the shoulder the breadth of the stone is 2 feet 8 inches; the back is e thicknesroundeth d an ds very irregular t greatesta , abou feet2 t . There seem to be no cup-marks and no indication of tooling, and e pillath r ston e dignifieeth l standal d n i ssimplicit s naturait f o y l rudeness, gred lichean y n stained, hoary wite mutth h e obliviof o n its forgotten purpose. The name of the stone is of considerable interest. On Green Hill, in the parish of Tough (O.S. 6 inches, Aberdeenshire, sheet Ixiii.), is a similar monolith, also called Lulach's 8 1 VOL. LX . 274 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 192612 L . or Luath' se traditioth Stone; d an nl attache o t eacd h pillas i r that it marks the place where Lulach, stepson of Macbeth, was over- take d killean n d afte s father'hi r s defea d deatan t t Lumphanaa h n (15th August 1057). The historical facts about Lulach the Fatuous are

f Macbeth'o n so briefla s s wifes followsa ywa ,e H Gruochr . he y b , 2 previous husband, Gillacomgain e ancienth f o , t hous f Moraviao e d an , himsel cousia f f Macbeth.o n After Macbet s defeatewa h d killedan d

y Malcolb m Canmore, 3 Lulach s stepfather'carriehi n o d s claimst bu , himsel s killewa t f Essiea d Strathbogien i , 17tn o , h March 1058, and, like his stepfather, was buried in lona. Two sources aver that Lulach was killed by Malcolm in battle, but another says that he died by treachery.4 Doubtless the two monoliths that bear his name are far anterio s tim hi thein i ee probablo t rar r e origin t greatlw t yno bu ; y wron regardinn gi g their subsequent popular association with Lulach's memor chaie th lina f othe no s n ki y a r e largevidencth eo t pars a e t which the province of Mar played in furthering the cause of the Macbeth dynasty against the rival and Normanising house of Canmore. Symbol Stone found n Mortlachi Churchyard, Banffshire.—On 18th September 1925, when opening a grave in the old churchyard of Mortlach, near Dufftown, Banffshire (O.S. 6 inches, Banffshire, sheet xxv.), the sexton came upon a large flat stone about 6 feet under the surface. It was lying face downwards and pointing to the south-east. Un- fortunately, in order to take it out the stone was broken into five pieces, onls anwa ybeed t daftei ha n t i broughr surface th o fragmentt n ti e s thae symbolth t s were discovere e undeth n a ro luckd y faceB y . chance the carved figures were almost unscathed by the breaking up e fractureth f e o stone oth e fs on jus, t passing throug e scrolleth h d hin e d"elephant. th fee f o t place Th "e s founwherwa s withi i dt i e n e north-wessomth fee 0 3 o ee well-knowt t th f o t n " Battle Stonef o " Mortlach. inciseo Thtw e e upped th symbol f e o r th parp f to o st e founth n o d ston familiae th e s i (fig ) r1 . " elephant," wrought with great spirite Th . lower symbo s hitherti l o unrecorded unablm a I hazaro t ed an , d even a conjectur y purpor o what ma s o t representt i a et e inciseTh . d sculpturing is beautifully wrought and extremely well preserved. In heigh stone th t e measures abou feeabou5 s ti inches 3 t inche i 0 1 td an ,s in greatest thickness. A small fragment, having become detached when s submitte s takewa , wa nup t i o Professodt . GribbW . ,A r M.A., D.Sc., Statisticalw Ne e 1Se Account, vol. xii 613. p . . 1 Lulach fatuus—Chronicle e oScotsd th f an . Skene) F (ed. W .. 152 p , . genealogicae 3Se . AndersonlO . tablA n ei , Early Sources of Scottish History, . 580volp . .i . 1 Tigernach, Annals, . StokeW . Revuen i sed Celtique, vol. xvii . 398p . ; Annals f Ulstero Hennessy). M (ed . W . ; Chronica 4 ,. volp . ii . de Mailros (ed . Stevenson).J . 227p , . SYMBOL STONE OTHED AN S R ANTIQUITIES. 275 of the Chair of Geology in University, who reports that the stone is a metamorphic rock, psammitic gneiss or impure quartzite, and is probably an erratic from the Moine area on Speyside. The church of Mortlach is one of the most ancient Christian sites districe Speye th monasterth A n d i . tan betwee e plantes De y wa e nth d here by St Moluag of Lismore, whom St Comgall the Great of Bangor, e Ard th f Ulster o sn i , dispatche a missio n o d n into Pictlan 562.n di 1 It is a beautiful example of the insita sibi species venustatis of an Old Celtic religious site, occupyin a glovel y position o n the west bank of the Dullan. The mediaeval parish church stands on a terrace overlooking the haugh by e riversidth esymboo whertw e lth estone s ared an , where it is therefore probable that St Moluag's com- munity was placed. On the opposite side of the river the bank rises steeply and is clothed with'fine timber. Though greatly modernised e churcth , h still retains its mediaeval proportions, and some beautiful lancet windows of the thirteenth century. Within it are preserved a number of interesting mediaeval grave- a gooslabs d d an , recumbent a effigmail-cla f o y d knight—said to represent Alexander Leslie of Kininvie, dieo dwh about 1549. The " Battl side eon a Celti Stonen o c s cros"ha s between two fish-like monsters facing each other on top and a grotesque beast at the base, while on the othe ra bird sid e a serpent,ar n eox' a sd skullan , , an dhorsemaa n wite illustratio hounds th hhi n I . n of the back of this stone in the Early Christian Monuments of , part iii. p. 156, the bird is not Pig. 1. Symbol Stone at Mortlach, Banff- shown e cross beeTh ha s. n carved wit a hsimpl e shire. scroll ornament e sculpturinTh . e s incisedgi th d an , e othe th techniquspiriteo s n r o t stone Battle s no da Th s ei . e Stone is 5 feet 9 inches in height above ground, and is 7 inches in greatest thickness t e pillaleas A th e belofee .2 f tar r o e surfacetw th , being wedged in among stones. The material appears to be similar to that e otheoth f r stone. Bound the Battle Stone " St Molloch's Fair " was formerly held. The

churc ancientld hha yRonnaca h bell Priest'e . th Neas i st i rWell. 8 t Moluag'S r Fo snorth-easte worth Originsy n ki m e f Christianityo se , Aberdeenshiren i pp.1 19-22. 1 For these and other particulars about the church and churchyard o£ Mortlach, see A. Jervise Epitaphs and Inscriptions of the North of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 326-34. 276 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 12, 1926.

The stone recently discovered is of an earlier type than the Battle Stone, havin e symbolth g s withou e distinctivelth t y Christian cross. Whether this clas f stono s s pagai e a muc s ni h vexed questiont bu ; the presence of the monument at a definitely Early Christian site is borne b a fac mindo n t i et I kno. f fifteewo n ancient church sites Spee th yd witan betweee h whicDe e e associatenth har d symbol stones e oldesoth f t class n manI . y other cases wher a esymbo l stonw eno stands unrelated wity knowan h n church site l knowledgal , n a f o e early wooden or wattled chapel or other religious centre on the spot y welma l hav t i thae face f th s o cleati perishede n t wi o re d an , cannot rejec e possibilitth t e symbolisth f yo m having been Christian from the outset. At all events, it is certain that whether pagan in

their origi r note o nsymbol th , 1 s were capabl n theii e r entiretf o y bearin ga Christia n meaning s theia , r association wit e cros hth son o s- e monumentmanth f yo s shows. The chronology of these symbols is equally obscure. Mr J. Graham Callander has drawn my attention to one fact that may have some bear- ing on this important problem. In the famous hoard of silver articles found at Norrie's Law, Largo, Fife, in 1817, occur two plates of silver and a silver pin (figs. 2 and 3) engraved with the double disc and Z-shaped rod symbol. Mr Callander points out that other fragments in this hoard are those of a silver vessel with a beaded rim similar to examples from the Traprain Law hoard, which is dated from numis- mati d othean c r evidenc o circat e A.D. 400 . e Norrie'Alsth n w oi La s hoard were found coins of Constantius II. (337-61) and Valens (364-78). These facts would thus afford some presumptive evidenc o tht es a e symbolism having been in use about the beginning of the fifth century:: and in that case the symbols would almost certainly be pagan. On e otheth r hand t shouli a ,cros s notee sha db patten dpi than e ei th t e centrath l projectin gs head it stu f o d; though f courseo , , such a cross is not necessarily Christian. In any case, it is dangerous to infer dates from coins havthay ma te bee circulation ni a lon r gnfo period. For example, in a hoard of coins found immediately beside Norrie's 1822n i w , werLa e included pieces ranging from Antonia, daughter of Mark Antony e Byzantin th a coi f a o laddie,o o n t n A.D, wh di y 38 e. period, dating apparently from the latter half of the seventh century —a total rang f ove eo hundrex si r d years. r DanieAndSi s a , l Wilson pointed out, f thii 2 s e associatefin b f coin o dn ca s d wit e silveth h r hoard previously discovere e e Lawlatte th e th dat th f n ,i d ro e would

1 For the.probable connectio f thno e symbolism wit e Pictishth h Church Originsy m e se , of Christianity Aberdeenshire,n i 9-11. pp . 2 Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, 2nd ed., vol. ii. p. 260. SYMBOL STONES AND OTHER ANTIQUITIES. 277

thus be brought down at least to the e seventth f o hd century—en a period full n accordanci y e wit e chronoth h - logy of the symbols put forward by Romilly Alien and Anderson.1 I am indebted to the Rev. John B. Gumming, M.A., B.D., minister of the parish, who at once appreciated the im- portance of the discovery, for furnish- ing me with full particulars and point- ing me out the locality, which I visited on 2nd October last. Mr Gumming is to have the fragments of the stone t togethee wholpu th d e an rsecurel y built up against a wall in the church- EarlyThe 1 Christian Monuments Scotland,of . parcixp . .i t

Pig. 2. Silver Plate from Fig. 3. Silver Pin from Norrie's Norrie's Law, Fife. Law, Fife. 278 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 12, 1926.

yard,1 where it will be perfectly safe, although unprotected from the weather. Stone with Incised Cross Botriphniein Churchyard, Banffshire.— Having been informed by the Rev. Alexander Mackay, M.A., minister of Botriphnie, that an undescribed stone with a Celtic cross exists in the parish churchyard, I visited the place on ,8th March last. Mr Mackay informs me that the stone was found some years ago by . EelesC M. F r, F.S.A.Scot., lying prostrat e soutth n hi e sid f tho e e churchyard (O.S. 6 inches, Banffshire, sheet xix.). It is now preserved in ruinee th d south aisle, which alone remaine th f so old church,2 superseded in 1820 by the present building to the northward. The stone (fig. 4) is a rough unhewn mass of hard schist showin gclosa e foliation, -and measures 25£ inche n lengthi s inches2 1 , n breadthi 3 d an , or 3| inches in thickness. At its upper end is rudely carve n equaa d l armed, wheeledd an , shafted cross, formed in single incised lines. The over-all diameter of the cross has been about 8 inches, and the length of the shaft is 5£ inches. A small wedge-shaped stonthe piecthe at eof e top end has been split out, destroying the apex e crosse positio e e th ocrosth fTh th t . f a so n a roughl f o uppe d yen r pointed stone suggests that this monument was originally set upright, eithe s aa r headston a sacre s a dr o eboundar y mark. Like Mortlach Church churce th , f Botriphniho e is a very ancient Christian centre. It bears the name of St Fumac, who is also associated with e churcth f Dinneho n Aberdeenshirei t . "Botriffni r Fumao e c Kirk," tole wear d circa 1726 , s patro"it hat r hfo n Fumac, quhose wooden image is washed yearly, with much formality, by an old woman (quho n wel ow e lthir s th here."f s May Faio hi dn hi n (o ri t )keep 3a ) it s Having outlive e e stormReformatioth th d f e Covenanto sth d an n ,

1 This has since been done, June 1926. thin I s aisle liepedimene sth beld ol tl cote stoneth , f inscribeo d r Maste fo M r Alexander 2 A F 1617 Fraser, the then minister. Between the initials is a florette. The aisle contains some interesting heraldic stones with beautiful carving and lettering, and is well worthy of being put into proper repair. 3 Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, vol. ii. p. 253. SYMBOL STONE OTHED AN S R ANTIQUITIES9 27 .

e effigs burneth a "wa y monumen s a d f idolatryo t "e th earl n i y last century.1 At Botriphnie t Mortlach a typicaa s e a , Celtid se e lOl w ,c religious site. Church and churchyard stand beautifully on a haugh overlooking the infant Isla, and backed by a steep slope on which is situated the manse. t Fumac'S s Well, enclose a paling y db , still flows, cold abundantan d , on the haugh east of the church, at the foot of what was formerly the minister's garden. Contents of a Midden from the Monastery on St Serfs Island, Lochleven. —In February 192 r Walte1M r G. Montgomery, O.B.E., F.S.A.Scot., Kinross House, sent me a boxful of remains found in the course of some chance digging within what are known as the monastic buildings t Serf'oS f s Priory, Lochleven (O.S inches6 . , FifKinrossd ean , sheet xxii.). The remains included pottery; an iron nail about 2| inches long, with a large flat round head, much wasted; a piece of charred wood, identified as hazel by Mr Macgregor Skene, D.Sc., Botany Department, Aberdeen University; and an assortment of bones. Evidently we have deao t l wit hrefuse-heaa r middeno p e potterth , -whicf yo h showo t t si have been of late mediaeval date. The site of the deposit lies outside the centre of the north wall of the south-eastern room.2 The pottery comprises 68 shards of ordinary mediaeval types, mostly small in size and none of any importance. The largest piece is part of nec e bulgind th kan g shoulde pitchea f o r dirty-whitn i r e ware, about i inc thicknessn hi interioe Th . r surface show e usuath s l horizontal striation; the exterior, coated with a thick, bright green glaze, has been decorated wit hlarga e chevron patter reliefn ni . Such war probabls ei y rathe e fifteentth r f lateo hd , aboucenturyen e th t . Other fragments show a thick ware in brick-red clay with a rich deep brown glaze. One small piece of grey ware shows a chevron pattern in bold relief. Another piece has a raised fillet with vertical incisions at frequent intervals. Pottery wit hsimilaa r pattern, assignabl earle th yo e t fourteent h century,

was foun t Dundarda g t CastlCoula d lean Castle, bot Aberdeenshire.n hi 3 accounn 1A e destructio th f to e effigth gives f i yno Jervisey nb , Epitaphs Inscriptions,d an wher, 13 . volep . alsii . o occur followine sth g note: " About fifty yearcrosa o rudf so sag e picked stone, in low relief, and about 5J feet high by about 3 feet broad, stood within the kirkyard of Botriphnie. Unfortunately, about the time indicated [i.e. about 1823] the stone was broken up b yblacksmitha sniiddys hearta hi s useo a r t hdwh fo i , ! Thiprobabld ha s y bee e anciennth t cross of St Fumac's Fair." The Old Style date of the fair was 15th February. 2 See plan by Andrew Kerr, F.S.A.Scot., in History of Lochleven Castle, by R. Burns-Begg, F.S.A.Scot., pi. i.; also Proceedings, vol. xvi . 167p . . Proceedings,e Se ' vol. xlviii vol. d 191p . an ., Iviii 80-8. pp . . Dundarg Castl destroyes wa e d by Andre Morae wd 133n yi 4 (Liber Pluscardensis, . SkeneH . J . . 280-1), F vol pp . . i .ed ; ant da Coull Castle alsevidence oth e recovered during excavation pointe totao dt l destruction during the Wars of Independence. I have a shard showing a similar notched pattern from the Bass of . 280 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 192612 L . Ther e als ar ea onumbe f fragmento r e coarseth f o s, dark-coloured, unglazed pipkins or cooking vessels, with broad, flat bases. These are mostly darkened by fire. The bones were submitted to Mr Eobert M. Neill, M.C., M.A., of e Naturath l History Department, Aberdeen University reporto wh , s a s follows: " There are about two dozen small pieces of bones of ox, sheep, d fowlan . One-hal f thesr o lon fo e spli b gar e ri tbone f oxeno s e th ; largest piece is 6| inches in length. The sheep bones are fragments of vertebrae, scapula, jaw ribd addition an ,I . n ther piecee ear sskule oth f l upped an r wing-bon a fowla d f eo an , ?BA/LEV fragmen f oyster-shello t . Severaf o l the bones show chop-marks." Balcastle Motte, Kilsyth. t BalA — - castle, abou quartea mila td ean o t r •Z- WELU e wes th f Kilsyto t b (O.S 6 inches. , Stirlingshire, sheet xxviii.), is a re- markably fine example of a motte (fig. 5). The summit area measures about 38 yards in length from east to west, by about 31 yards from north wese southo th t tn sidO e motte. eth is bounded by a small rocky ravine FEET with a burn: on the east is a lesser ravine, also containing a burn which Fig . Pla.5 Balcastlf no e Mote, Kilsyth. rises in a well to the north-east of the motte. These two burns unite immediately below the motte to the south. Northward e grounth s de bare riseth o , t streeles s e ridgeth f o s Kilsyth Hills. On this side the slopes of the motte terminate abruptly on a level area here, which would give room for a bailey between the e motte th e o basravines th f tw o e t a hermoderA s .i e n dry-built retaining mottee fee5 wall 1 heighn i Th tr s abou i .o 2 t 1 tabov e th e leve lnorthe are th abou d o at fee,an 0 5 tt abov ravine e southeth th o et . s sideIt s slope down with great regularit n angla f t 45°yo a e . From summie th magnificena t t vie obtaines wi d southwards ove Kelvie th r n Vallee Romanth o yr Hillt Ba ' for , n whico t s directlhi y oppositee Th . farm-steading of Balcastle lies a short distance north-east of the motte, e north-easth o t f whico tcottag a s hi e know s Castlegrayna .