Northeast Scotland - Scotland - page 471

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PICTISH SYMBOL STONES
The mysterious carved stones that dot the landscape of eastern Scotland are the legacy of the warrior tribes who
inhabited these lands 2000 years ago. The Romans occupied the southern half of Britain from AD 43 to 410, but
the region to the north of the firths of Forth and Clyde - known as Caledonia - was abandoned as being too dan-
gerous, and sealed off behind the ramparts of the Antonine Wall and Hadrian's Wall.
Caledonia was the homeland of the Picts, a collection of tribes named by the Romans for their habit of painting
or tattooing their bodies. In the 9th century they were culturally absorbed by the Scots, leaving behind only a few
archaeological remains, a scattering of Pictish place names beginning with 'Pit', and hundreds of mysterious
carved stones decorated with intricate symbols, mainly in northeast Scotland. The capital of the ancient Southern
Pictish kingdom is said to have been at Forteviot in Strathearn; Pictish symbol stones are found throughout this
area and all the way up the eastern coast of Scotland into Sutherland and Caithness.
It is thought that the stones were set up to record Pictish lineages and alliances, but no-one is sure exactly how
the system worked. They are decorated with unusual symbols, including z-rods (a lightning bolt?), circles (the
sun?), double discs (a hand mirror?) and fantastical creatures, as well as figures of warriors on horseback, hunting
scenes and (on the later stones) Christian symbols.
Local tourist offices provide a free leaflet titled the Angus Pictish Trail, which will guide you to the main Pic-
tish sites in the area. The finest assemblage of stones in their natural outdoor setting is at Aberlemno ( Click here
), and there are excellent indoor collections at St Vigeans Museum ( Click here ) and the Meigle Museum ( Click
here ) . The Pictavia ( Click here ) interpretive centre at Brechin provides a good introduction to the Picts and is
worth a look before you visit the stones.
The Pictish Trail by Anthony Jackson lists 11 driving tours, while The Symbol Stones of Scotland by the same
author provides detail on the history and meaning of the stones.
Broughty Ferry
Dundee's attractive seaside suburb, known locally as 'The Ferry', lies 4 miles east of the
city centre. It has a castle, a long, sandy beach and a number of good places to eat and
drink. It's also handy for the golf courses at nearby Carnoustie.