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Welcome
to
Groam
House
Museum
and
its
display
of
amazingly
carved
Pictish
stones,
dating
from
the
700s
onwards.
Rosemarkie
by
then
had
become
a
major
centre
of
Christianity
for
the
Moray
Firth
area.
The
Museum
also
houses
the
George
Bain
Collection
-
now
recognised
as
being
of
National
Significance.
Our
exhibition
downstairs
shows
our
collection
of
Pictish
sculpture
(to
the
left
of
the
above
view
of
the
museum).
This
year,
local
artist
Thomas
Keyes
brings
a
new
understanding
of
the
geometry
underlying
the
design
of
the
stones
carved
here.
Upstairs
(to
the
right
of
the
above
view)
we
show
what
a
monastic
scriptorium
may
have
looked
like
-
where
the
scribes
created
the
intricately
decorated
illuminated
gospels.
In
the
same
way
that
George
Bain
examined
the
geometry
underlying
Celtic
art,
now
local
artist
Thomas
Keyes
examines
how
the
same
principles
were
applied
to
Pictish
sculpture.
Welcome
to
Groam
House
Museum
Leave
museum
Start
your
tour
Hover
over
the
picture
to
see
what’s
available;
Click
to
tour
the
museum
Pictish
sculpture
-
some
mysteries
revealed
Part
of
our
shop
-
Pictish/Celtic
history
Donations
Box
Upstairs
-
The
Book
of
Kells
-
some
mysteries
explained
Our
shop
Pictish
sculpture
-
some
mysteries
revealed
Groam
House
Museum
houses
an
important
collection
of
carved
Pictish
stones,
dating
from
the
700s
to
the
900s
AD,
from
the
time
when
Rosemarkie
was
the
site
of
an
important
Christian
settlement.
The
nearby
promontory
at
what
is
now
Fortrose
would
have
been
an
important
crossing
point
for
travellers
between
the
Pictish
settlement
at
Burghead
and
points
further
north.
The
stones
presented
in
this
exhibition
were
all
found
in
the
local
village,
and
no
doubt
more
are
waiting
to
be
found.
The
picture
shows
the
exhibition
room
(some
parts
are
hidden
by
other
objects)
-
move
the
cursor
over
the
picture
to
see
what
display
areas
there
are,
and
click
on
any
of
them
to
see
more
detail.
Or
use
the
map
below
to
follow
the
physical
exhibition
layout.
Use
the
buttons
to
the
left
to
look
at
different
aspects
of
our
exhibition.
Introduction
Stone
sculptures
Who
were
the
Picts?
Left
hand
display
area
Rear
wall
display
Right
wall
display
Rear
wall
display
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Back
to
entrance
Right
wall
display
Left
wall
display
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Retail
area
Rear
wall
display
Geometry
of
the
stones
Walk-through
tour
Left-hand
wall
display
Exhibition
overview
Church
fitting?
Panel
-
Pictish
art
Hilton
stone
(image)
Panel
Rubbing
-
Eagle
stone,
Strathpeffer
Stone
slab
Replica
stones
for
touching
Rubbing
-
Edderton
stone
Right
wall
display
Left
wall
display
You
are
here
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Retail
area
Rear
wall
Exhibition
overview
Rosemarkie’s
Pictish
stones
During
the
600s
AD
Pictish
leaders
slowly
embraced
Christianity.
Monks
were
given
lands
by
local
overlords
as
a
mark
of
respect
to
this
new
faith.
A
chapel
was
built,
with
simple
dwellings
of
the
brethren
nearby.
Beyond
were
workers’
homes,
arable
fields
and
rough
grazing
land.
Rosemarkie
was
the
site
of
an
important
local
centre
of
Christianity,
situated
en
route
between
Burghead
to
the
south,
and
Portmahomack
to
the
north.
The
stones
in
our
collection
are
all
from,
or
directly
connected
with,
the
monastery
that
was
once
located
here.
Rosemarkie’s
magnificent,
tall,
slim
cross-slab
once
stood
by
the
monastery
here,
as
a
focus
for
prayer,
ministry
and
remembrance.
By
the
1700s,
the
cross-slab
was
no
longer
upright.
It
was
found
broken
in
two
when
the
old
church
was
demolished
in
1820.
The
pieces
had
been
set
down
as
floor
slabs.
It
wasn’t
until
the
later
1800s
that
the
stones
were
cemented
together
again,
so
that
the
cross-slab
could
be
re-erected
outside
the
new
church.
Exhibition
overview
Pictish
sculpture
-
some
mysteries
revealed
Pictish
sculpture
reveals
incredible
design
skills.
This
specialist
knowledge
was
also
used
when
making
gospel
books
and
religious
vessels
for
monasteries.
All
were
made
by
hand
by
people
living
in,
or
working
for,
these
Pictish
centres.
Local
artist,
Thomas
Keyes,
is
now
studying
these
complex
designs
and
the
tools
and
materials
the
original
artists
used.
He’s
exploring
the
links
between
the
illustrations
in
manuscripts
and
on
sculpture.
His
current
results
are
fascinating
–
take
a
look
at
the
yellow
labels
for
our
stones
to
find
out
more.
These
sculpted
stones
show
that
craftsmen
lived
at
Rosemarkie’s
monastery,
either
permanently
or
temporarily.
The
geometry
they
used
to
design
some
of
the
stones
matches
that
used
in
manuscripts
like
the
Book
of
Kells.
So,
what
is
the
link
between
designs
on
Rosemarkie’s
sculpture
and
in
illuminated
manuscripts
produced
in
the
700s
and
800s
AD?
In
this
part
of
the
exhibition
we
look
at
the
formulae
that
were
used
to
create
the
compositions.
Rosemarkie
demonstrates
the
significance
of
this
accurate
geometry.
No
other
group
of
Pictish
sculpture
shows
this
so
clearly.
See
further
information
on
the
geometry
underlying
some
of
our
stones
by
clicking
on
the
individual
stones
to
the
left.
Exhibition
overview
Hanging
-
rubbing
of
Shandwick
stone
Grave
slab
Altar
cross
Decorative
panels
Exhibition
introduction
Right
wall
display
Left
wall
display
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Retail
area
Rear
wall
display
You
are
here
Exhibition
overview
A
shrine
Grave
marker
Hanging
-
rubbing
of
Rosemarkie
stone
Key
pattern
slab
Travelling
Monks
A
taste
of
damnation
Altar
Top
Hanging
-
rubbing
of
Rosemarkie
stone
Right
wall
display
Left
wall
display
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Retail
area
Rear
wall
display
You
are
here
End
tour
Back
to
museum
OUR
BOOK
AND
GIFT
SHOP
Before
you
leave……
Don’t
forget
to
have
a
look
at
our
selection
of
books
relating
to
local
history
and
heritage,
the
works
of
George
Bain,
Celtic
art
and
the
history
of
the
Picts
and
of
Scotland.
In
our
shop
you
will
find
lots
of
relevant
gifts
at
a
wide
range
of
prices
-
from
postcards
to
pieces
of
jewellery
and
hand
crafted
items.
Right
wall
display
Left
wall
display
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
Retail
area
Rear
wall
display
You
are
here
Right
wall
overview
Picts
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Pictish
sculpture
-
some
mysteries
revealed
Pictish
sculpture
reveals
incredible
design
skills.
This
specialist
knowledge
was
also
used
when
making
gospel
books
and
religious
vessels
for
monasteries.
All
were
made
by
hand
by
people
living
in,
or
working
for,
these
Pictish
centres.
Thomas
Keyes
is
now
studying
these
complex
designs
and
the
tools
and
materials
the
original
artists
used.
He’s
exploring
the
links
between
the
illustrations
in
manuscripts
and
on
sculpture.
His
current
results
are
fascinating
–
take
a
look
at
his
labels
(in
yellow)
for
our
stones
to
find
out
more.
These
sculpted
stones
show
that
craftsmen
lived
at
Rosemarkie’s
monastery,
either
permanently
or
temporarily.
The
geometry
they
used
to
design
some
of
the
stones
matches
that
used
in
manuscripts
like
the
Book
of
Kells.
So,
what
is
the
link
between
designs
on
Rosemarkie’s
sculpture
and
in
illuminated
manuscripts
produced
in
the
700s
and
800s
AD?
In
this
part
of
the
exhibition
we
look
at
the
formulae
that
were
used
to
create
the
compositions.
Rosemarkie
demonstrates
the
significance
of
this
accurate
geometry.
No
other
group
of
Pictish
sculpture
shows
this
so
clearly.
Our
display
on
“The
“The
Book
of
Kells
-
some
mysteries
revealed”
revealed”
shows
how
an
illuminated
gospel
book
could
have
been
created
here
in
the
8th
or
9th
centuries
AD
and
how
George
Bain
rediscovered
many
of
the
Pictish
design
techniques
in
the
mid-20th
century.
A
Pictish
key-patterned
panel
Some
Pictish
sculpture
is
particularly
geometric.
The
panel
here
was
designed
by
somene
very
familiar
with
geometry.
Thomas
Keyes
thinks
that
they
expected
the
viewers
of
this
piece
to
know
about
geometry,
too.
Each
of
the
3
joined
rectangles
are
in
the
proportions
of
what
is
known
as
the
golden
ratio.
This
was
a
favourite
amongst
insular
artists.
The
rectangle
below
is
in
the
golden
ratio,
forming
a
logarithmic
spiral
of
identically
proportioned
rectangles
that
can
get
infinitely
small.
It
is
present
on
stones
in
Groam
House
Museum
and
is
common
on
Insular
manuscripts
and
other
artefacts.
It
shows
how
compasses
and
a
straight
edge
can
be
used
to
create
a
series
of
geometric
rectangles.
Leave
video
Play
video
Right
wall
overview
To
stones
overview
A
bishop’s
tomb
or
decorative
partitions?
Imagine
these
two,
thin,
sandstone
slabs
decorating
the
interior
of
the
stone
church
that
was
built
here
in
the
700s
AD.
These
slabs
may
have
been
crafted
some
decades
later,
in
the
early
800s
AD.
They
are
skilful
works
of
art,
all
the
more
so
if
the
carved
patterns
were
highlighted
in
one
or
two
colours.
Each
has
a
different
layout,
so
were
they
designed
to
be
viewed
individually?
If
so,
perhaps
they
formed
the
sides
of
a
stone
tomb,
with
the
plain
areas
being
set
into
the
floor.
Might
such
a
coffin
have
held
the
remains
of
one
of
the
bishops
of
Rosemarkie,
or
perhaps
those
of
a
local
overlord?
Alternatively,
the
slabs
could
have
been
set
opposite
each
other,
perhaps
to
frame
the
sacred
space
around
the
altar.
The
undecorated
areas
could
have
been
hidden
within
the
walls
of
the
church.
And
these
aren’t
the
only
two
such
slabs
-
part
of
another
is
displayed
in
the
recess
between
the
windows.
Click
here
to
view
it.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Geometry
of
stone
Return
to
stone
Geometry
overview
©
Thomas
Keyes.
Scribalstyles.net
Stones
overview
Right
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
An
altar
cross
This
small
ringed
cross
was
once
a
bright
visual
focus
for
Christian
worship
in
the
church.
The
small
depressions
held
vividly
coloured
glass,
enamel
or
stone
inlays.
The
outline
of
the
cross
may
also
have
been
decorated.
Concentrate
on
the
ringed
cross
-
it
is
all
that
worshippers
saw.
The
rest
of
the
stone
was
covered
with
mortar.
It
may
have
been
built
into
the
east
wall
of
the
church
immediately
behind
the
altar.
Or
the
stone
was
built
into
the
front
of
the
altar,
an
iconic
symbol
repeated
today
on
decorative
altar
cloths.
On
loan
from
National
Museums
Scotland
Grave
slab
These
two
stones
(left)
were
once
a
single
grave
slab.
The
right-hand
slab
would
have
been
set
above
the
left-hand
one
and
the
grave
cover
shape
becomes
clear.
Move
the
cursor
over
either
magnifying
glass
to
see
what
it
would
have
looked
like.
The
head
is
wider
than
the
foot.
The
slab
could
have
been
the
lid
of
a
coffin,
or
laid
over
a
grave.
On
the
left
stone,
the
base
of
the
cross
has
steps
leading
up
to
it,
as
shown
on
the
Hilton
of
Cadboll
and
Edderton
cross-slabs
to
the
north
of
Rosemarkie.
But
this
cross
is
set
on
a
stylised
mound,
Golgotha,
and
the
rivers
of
Paradise
seem
to
be
shown
flowing
from
it.
These
are
direct
references
to
the
crucifiction,
resurrection
and
salvation.
Like
many
of
the
sculptured
stones
found
here
in
Rosemarkie,
this
was
probably
carved
in
the
800s
AD.
The
carving
is
surprisingly
sharp.
Perhaps
it
was
set
inside
the
church?
Right
wall
overview
To
stones
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Right
wall
overview
The
Shandwick
cross-slab
Just
north-east
of
the
Black
Isle,
on
the
Tarbat
peninsula,
are
three
more
magnificent
Pictish
cross-slabs.
The
stone
at
Shandwick,
of
which
this
is
a
rubbing,
stands
as
high
as
the
Rosemarkie
stone,
but
it
is
broader.
There
are
two
more
at
Nigg
and
Hilton
of
Cadboll.
This
face
has
a
pair
of
symbols
at
its
top
–
a
double
disc
and
Pictish
‘beast’
(a
dolphin?).
Below
is
a
complex
hunting
scene,
followed
by
a
superb
triskele
design
with
interlace
and
keypattern
below.
Today
it
is
a
one-colour
stone
slab.
Imagine
it
coloured,
as
on
this
hanging
by
Marianna
Lines,
and
it
really
comes
alive.
The
other
side
of
the
Shandwick
cross-slab
is
deeply
sculpted,
with
a
Christian
cross
surrounded
by
beasts,
angels
and
interlaced
designs.
It
is
quite
different
from
the
Rosemarkie
cross-slab.
Our
cross-slab
has
no
hunting
scenes,
or
obvious
intertwined
animals,
beasts
or
figures
from
everyday
life
and
the
bible.
To
protect
the
stones
the
taking
of
rubbings
is
now
not
permitted
for
any
reason.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Making
mistakes
The
sculptor
has
copied
out
the
wrong
spiralling
snake
on
the
right-hand
side.
If
the
craftsperson
was
being
exact
the
spiral
would
have
been
inverted.
Were
they
working
from
a
tracing?
Did
they
forget
to
turn
it
over
when
they
moved
from
one
side
of
the
cross
to
the
other?
Thomas
Keyes’
work
shows
that
tracing
paper
could
have
been
made
from
low
quality
parchment
that
hadn’t
stretched
well.
This
would
have
resulted
in
a
translucent
vellum.
To
stones
overview
Return
to
stone
A
grave
marker
This
sculptured
slab
is
part
of
a
grave
marker,
crafted
during
the
800s
AD.
The
carving
is
now
blurred
-
a
result
of
centuries
of
weathering
that
it
suffered
while
out
in
the
graveyard.
But
the
two
coiled
snakes
to
either
side
of
the
cross
are
still
visible.
For
Christians,
snakes
were
symbolic
of
both
good
and
evil.
They
shed
their
skins
-
a
symbol
of
the
resurrection
of
Christ,
and
of
re-birth
through
baptism
into
the
faith.
But
it
is
also
believed
that
Satan
took
the
form
of
a
serpent
to
lure
Adam
and
Eve
into
sin.
Noticing
how
and
where
serpents
feature
on
a
sculptured
slab
aids
interpretation.
Here
they
are
coiled
together
close
to
the
cross
-
they
are
symbols
of
good.
Similarly
on
the
Nigg
and
Shandwick
cross-slabs,
to
the
north
of
Rosemarkie,
they
twist
around
the
bosses
by
the
cross
to
reflect
the
glory
of
God.
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Geometry
overview
Geometry
of
stone
Stones
overview
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Travelling
monks?
Two
men
walk
from
right
to
left
across
this
fragment.
One
is
shown
in
a
long
garment
with
a
decorated
border.
He
seems
to
be
on
higher
ground
and
is
larger
than
the
other.
The
man
who
walks
behind
him
holds
a
staff.
What
do
these
figures
depict?
The
man
on
the
left
may
be
a
saint
or
bishop,
the
one
on
the
right
a
monk.
Similar
carvings
of
clerics
can
be
seen
far
to
the
north
and
south
of
the
Moray
Firth,
but
they
aren’t
common
in
this
area.
On
loan
from
National
Museums
Scotland
Stones
overview
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
A
tale
of
damnation
This
sculptured
fragment
is
unlike
any
other
found
at
Rosemarkie.
It
looks
as
if
the
human
figure
is
being
attacked
by
three
different
beasts,
There
are
the
feet
of
two
other
animals
across
the
top.
The
largest
beast
could
be
a
bear.
The
others
might
be
dogs
or
wolves.
But
is
the
bearded
head
actually
on
a
human
body?
Take
a
closer
look
-
the
neck
seems
far
too
long…
This
may
be
part
of
a
scene
of
death
and
damnation.
Such
imagery
was
carved
on
various
Pictish
cross-slabs
and
grave
slabs,
particularly
those
in
Angus
and
Perthshire.
The
item
is
a
reproduction.
The
original
sculpture
is
in
National
Museums
Scotland.
Stones
overview
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
The
altar
top
This
small
slab
is
of
surprising
importance.
Imagine
it
lying
flat,
its
visible
surface
uppermost
with
the
carved
border
nearest
you.
The
top
edge
(not
visible
here)
is
also
sculpted.
This
decoration
would
have
been
clearly
visible
when
the
slab
formed
the
surface
of
the
altar.
Sculpted
stones
like
this
and
the
other
thin
key-patterned
slabs
found
at
Rosemarkie
(click
here
to
see
them)
are
not
common.
They
reflect
the
importance
of
this
Christian
centre.
There
are
a
few
other
concentrations
of
sculpture
associated
with
early
medieval
monastic
sites
around
the
Moray
Firth
-
at
Portmahomack
near
Tain,
and
Kinnedar
near
Elgin.
But
some
of
the
designs
carved
on
the
stones
show
different
priorities,
probably
reflecting
the
individual
wishes
of
those
who
commissioned
the
pieces.
On
loan
from
National
Museums
Scotland
Stones
overview
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Another
fine
slab
Like
the
two
long
slabs
on
the
right-hand
wall
display
(click
(click
here
to
view)
view)
this
must
be
part
of
a
tomb
or
a
decorative
wall
feature
from
the
church.
But
the
design
and
the
area
it
covers
are
subtly
different
from
the
others.
What
are
the
differences?
There
is
no
blank
area
for
the
slab
to
be
set
into
a
plinth
or
wall.
The
key
pattern
has
fewer
repeats
than
the
other
two
-
but
even
they
are
not
equal.
Can
you
spot
the
others?
All
of
these
variables
suggest
that
the
three
slabs
were
once
part
of
at
least
two
separate
monuments.
Rear
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Hanging
-
the
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
This
hanging
shows
both
the
front
of
the
cross-slab
and
the
two
sides.
Only
a
few
cross-slabs
are
sculpted
on
all
four
faces.
Was
the
top
also
carved?
The
side
panels
are
both
carved
with
varied,
complex
ornament.
They
are
filled
with
small,
strange
interlaced
creatures
-
bird-headed
serpents,
creatures
with
snouted
heads
and
fish
tails,
and
snake
headed
reptiles.
Unlike
other
Pictish
cross-slabs,
these
intertwined
animals
are
the
only
ones
on
the
Rosemarkie
cross-slab.
It
is
unique
in
not
having
human
figures,
animals
or
beasts
on
at
least
one
of
its
main
faces.
To
protect
the
stones
the
taking
of
rubbings
is
now
not
permitted
for
any
reason.
Click
here
for
the
other
side.
Rear
wall
overview
Hanging
-
the
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
This
hanging
with
its
subtle
colours
was
made
in
the
1980s
by
Marianna
Lines.
By
careful
use
of
natural
pigments,
she
has
brought
out
the
beauty
and
intricacy
of
the
designs.
She
used
turmeric,
red
ochre,
flower
petals,
vegetable
dyes
and
beeswax
crayons.
Her
hangings
are
unique
-
nowadays
it
is
not
permitted
to
make
rubbings
of
any
historic
sculptured
or
incised
stones.
But
they
are
a
striking
way
of
seeing
the
stones
as
they
might
originally
have
been
coloured
for
significant
feast
days
in
the
Christian
calendar.
Today
taking
rubbings
is
not
a
method
that
we
miss
-
we
can
laser-scan
these
stones
and
colour
them
digitally.
This
hanging
shows
the
Rosemarkie
Pictish
symbols.
Click
here
for
the
other
side.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
A
complex
geometry
The
rectangle
that
this
tree
vine
sits
within
is
not
of
the
golden
ration
formula.
It
is
far
more
complex:
2
-
square
root
of
3
+
1
Interestingly,
the
same
formula
seems
to
have
been
used
on
the
famous
Irish
book
shrine,
the
Soiscel
Molaise,
on
display
in
the
National
Museum
of
Ireland,
Dublin.
Stones
overview
Rear
wall
overview
A
shrine
Rosemarkie’s
first
stone
church
may
have
become
a
place
of
pilgrimage.
This
sculptured
slab
could
reflect
such
a
role.
It
is
one
side
of
a
stone
shrine
-
a
box
that
would
have
held
a
few
bones
of
a
saint.
Rosemarkie
is
generally
linked
to
St
Curadan,
one
of
the
bishops
who
witnessed
St
Adomnan’s
Law
of
Innocents
in
697
AD.
This
was
the
first
declaration
of
rights
for
the
safety
of
women
and
children
during
warfare.
It
was
signed
by
representatives
of
Christian
kingships
across
the
British
Isles
at
a
meeting
in
Ireland.
This
carving
was
done
around
100
years
later.
It
represents
a
tree
vine
with
grapes,
symbolising
Christ’s
disciples,
His
blood,
and
salvation.
The
imagery
is
just
right
for
a
shrine
-
perhaps
the
stone
box
was
prepared
for
relics
of
St
Curadan.
But
there
is
also
a
story
linking
the
church
to
St
Moluag
whose
monastic
focus
was
on
the
west
coast,
on
Lismore.
He
died
in
592
AD.
Were
some
of
his
bones
brought
here
during
the
troubled
800s?
It
was
at
this
time
that
St
Columba’s
relics
were
taken
from
Iona
to
Dunkeld.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Geometry
of
the
stone
Return
to
stone
Geometry
overview
Play
video
Leave
video
©
Thomas
Keyes.
Scribalstyles.net
A
grave
slab
This
sculptured
stone
has
been
recut
for
use
as
a
building
block.
The
top
and
right
side
have
been
trimmed
and
most
of
the
length
of
the
massive
slab
is
missing.
Even
so,
we
know
it
is
part
of
the
lid
of
a
stone
coffin,
or
a
grave
cover,
perhaps
set
outside
in
a
graveyard.
At
the
centre
there
is
a
diagonal
cross,
representing
salvation.
It
is
surrounded
by
three-looped
knots
known
as
“triquetras”.
They
possibly
refer
to
the
12
Apostles,
the
original
disciples
of
Christ.
The
rest
of
the
slab
would
also
have
had
motifs
symbolising
aspects
of
the
Christian
faith
-
just
like
one
of
the
massive
grave
covers
at
Meigle
in
Perthshire.
It
is
thought
that
this
stone
cannot
be
part
of
a
cross-slab.
There
is
no
evidence
that
it
was
ever
carved
on
the
reverse,
and
the
design
tapers.
So
it
is
usually
interpreted
as
a
surprisingly
wide
grave
slab.
Left
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Stones
overview
Left
wall
overview
Pictish
Art
The
sculptors
of
Rosemarkie
carved
the
beautiful
slabs
in
our
exhibition
during
the
later
700s
and
early
800s
AD.
They
took
their
inspiration
from
Christian
decorated
manuscripts
and
metalwork.
Diagonal
“key
pattern”
and
interlace
were
the
sculptor’s
favoured
motifs.
But
two
sets
of
paired
Pictish
symbols
were
also
carved
into
one
face
of
the
cross-slab.
These
may
reflect
the
sponsoring
overlord’s
family
name.
A
page
from
the
Book
of
Durrow
produced
c660-675
AD
©
Trinity
College
Dublin
A
Pictish
brooch
found
in
Co
Galway,
Ireland
but
made
in
the
lands
of
the
Picts
during
the
700s
or
800s
AD
©
Metropolitan
Museum
of
Art,
USA
The
Monymusk
reliquary
created
c700
AD
©
National
Museums
Scotland
Originally
the
sculptured
stones
were
probably
painted.
A
few
are
likely
to
have
been
ornamented
with
precious
metals,
coloured
glass,
enamel
and
amber.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Left
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
The
Hilton
of
Cadboll
cross-slab
(image)
This
sculpture
is
now
a
centrepiece
of
the
Museum
of
Scotland,
Edinburgh.
Since
its
display
there,
the
base
has
been
discovered
and
can
be
seen
in
the
community
hall
in
the
village
of
Hilton,
to
the
north
of
Rosemarkie
Geometry
overview
Play
video
Stones
overview
Left
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Leave
video
A
church
fitting?
The
sharpness
of
the
carving
suggests
that
this
stone
was
set
up
inside
Rosemarkie’s
church.
It
is
an
extremely
well
sculptured
piece.
Look
closely
and
you
will
see
the
different
depths
to
which
the
stone
has
been
finished.
The
centre
of
the
cross
even
sits
slightly
proud
of
the
edges
of
the
stone.
Many
of
the
stones
in
this
exhibition
have
hidden
architectural
features.
This
one
has
a
groove
on
the
back,
so
it
was
not
a
free-standing
grave
marker.
It
may
have
been
fixed
to
a
wall,
or
perhaps
it
formed
one
end
of
a
sarcophagus
or
shrine.
©
Thomas
Keyes.
Scribalstyles.net
Left
wall
overview
Rosemarkie’s
Pictish
stones
During
the
700s
AD
Pictish
leaders
slowly
embraced
Christianity.
Monks
were
given
lands
by
local
overlords
as
a
mark
of
respect
to
this
new
faith.
A
chapel
was
built,
with
simple
dwellings
of
the
brethren
nearby.
Beyond
were
workers’
homes,
arable
fields
and
rough
grazing
land.
To
proclaim
the
new
Christian
beliefs,
large
sculptured
stones
with
fresh
designs
were
crafted.
Locally
quarried
slabs
were
carved
with
a
cross
on
one
side,
Pictish
symbols
and
other
motifs
on
the
other.
Today
these
stones
are
referred
to
as
“cross-slabs”.
Rosemarkie’s
magnificent,
tall,
slim
cross-slab
was
produced
for
the
most
important
church
of
the
Inner
Moray
Firth.
It
once
stood
by
the
early
Christian
monastery
here,
as
a
focus
for
prayer,ministry
and
remembrance.
By
the
1700s,
the
cross
slab
was
no
longer
upright.
It
was
found
broken
in
two
when
the
old
church
was
demolished
in
1820.
The
pieces
had
been
set
down
as
floor
slabs.
It
wasn’t
until
the
later
1800s
that
the
stones
were
cemented
together
again,
so
that
the
cross-slab
could
be
re-erected
outside
the
new
church.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
A
monastic
settlement
with
its
church
top
left
©
Stephen
Conlin
&
Historic
Environment
Scotland
The
cross-slab
outside
Rosemarkie
church,
photographed
in
the
1890s
©
Historic
Environment
Scotland
Eagle
stone
This
rubbing
of
the
symbols
on
the
Eagle
stone
at
Strathpeffer
was
made
by
Marianna
Lines
in
the
1980s.
It
is
not
something
that
anyone
is
allowed
to
do
nowadays.
The
eagle
and
an
arch
-
an
abstract
motif
rather
than
an
object
or
structure
-
are
classic
Pictish
symbols.
Symbols,
almost
always
incised
in
pairs
one
above
the
other,
are
found
on
boulders,
other
stones
and
even
objects.
They
date
between
the
400s
and
600s
AD,
before
the
acceptance
of
Christianity.
Symbol
stones
can
be
seen
from
Shetland
to
Fife
and
across
to
the
Western
Isles.
This
stone
is
now
at
the
edge
of
Strathpeffer,
on
the
hillside
that
looks
south
towards
Knockfarrel.
History
tells
us
that
it
has
been
moved
from
somewhere
near
the
burial
ground
at
the
foot
of
that
hill,
which
has
an
Iron
Age
or
Pictish
fort
on
top.
It's
worth
a
visit.
Left
wall
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Left
wall
overview
Edderton
stone
This
rubbing
shows
the
symbols
on
part
of
a
tall
standing
stone
on
the
outskirts
of
Edderton,
west
of
Tain.
The
Picts
have
re-used
an
ancient
stone,
one
that
was
originally
erected
more
than
2,500
years
before
their
time.
It
is
one
of
the
few
Pictish
symbol
stones
that
has
probably
never
been
moved.
The
leaping
salmon
is
set
above
a
'double
disc
and
Z-rod'.
The
Picts
used
a
range
of
symbols:
specific
animals
and
abstract
forms.
It
is
increasingly
accepted
that
the
paired
symbols
record
chieftain's
names.
Certain
objects
are
also
seen
on
symbol
stones,
most
commonly
a
mirror
and
comb.
Taking
rubbings
like
this
is
no
longer
permitted
-
this
was
made
over
30
years
ago.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Left
wall
overview
Exhibition
overview
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Who
were
the
Picts?
Between
300
and
900
AD
people
known
as
Picts
lived
across
the
northern
half
of
Scotland.
Their
ancestors
were
the
Iron
Age
people
who
had
lived
here
for
generations.
Symbol
stones,
dating
from
the
400s
to
600s
AD,
are
what
the
Picts
are
renowned
for.
Over
two
hundred
are
known,
found
from
the
Western
Isles
to
Aberdeenshire,
Shetland
to
Edinburgh.
The
Picts
were
farmers;
some
were
craftspeople
or
warriors;
a
few
were
overlords
or
priests.
Until
the
later
600s
AD
most
of
their
beliefs
focused
on
various
‘pagan’
gods
and
traditions,
just
like
their
predecessors.
During
the
600s
and
700s
AD
those
in
power
increased
their
strength
and
influence
by
adopting
a
new
religion
that
had
swept
across
Europe
–
Christianity.
The
use
of
Pictish
symbols
declined
and
disappeared
during
the
next
century.
Society
was
changing.
New
political
alliances
developed
to
wage
war
against
large
armies
from
Scandinavia.
By
906
AD
reference
to
the
Picts
disappears
from
manuscripts.
One
hundred
years
later
the
kingdom
of
Alba
had
evolved.
Stones
overview
Exhibition
overview
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
When
the
slab
was
complete,
the
upper
half
of
the
rear
of
the
slab
(left)
displayed
three
crescent
symbols
and
their
associated
V-shaped
rods,
as
well
as
a
double
disc
with
its
reversed
Z-shaped
rod.
Only
the
tips
of
the
uppermost
crescent
and
the
angle
of
its
V-rod
survive.
The
Rosemarkie
slab
is
the
only
Pictish
monument
that
displays
three
versions
of
the
same
symbol.
Artefacts
are
also
depicted:
the
mirror
and
comb.
Although
the
basic
outline
of
the
symbols
was
fixed
the
sculptor
could
show
his
ingenuity
by
varying
their
decoration.
The
Rosemarkie
sculptor
shows
how
aware
he
was
of
the
effectiveness
of
contrasting
textures.
The
open
interlace
of
the
lowest
crescent
is
followed
by
the
tight,
knobbly
spiral
work
of
the
double
disc,
which
in
turn
contrasts
with
the
flat,
all-over
key-pattern
for
the
decoration
of
the
crescent
above.
The
tips
of
the
lower
crescent
are
formed
out
of
animal
headed
interlace
that
is
used
to
decorate
its
interior.
All
three
V-rods
have
their
diagonals
split
to
create
knots
at
the
apex.
Animal
bodies
are
split
to
vary
the
ornament
in
one
of
the
panels
on
a
narrow
edge.
The
diagonal
section
of
the
Z-rod
also
serves
to
define
segments
of
the
discs.
These
clever
idiosyncrasies
show
that
the
Rosemarkie
sculptor
was
a
master
of
his
art.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Geometry
overview
Play
video
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video
©
Thomas
Keyes.
Scribalstyles.net
Picts
overview
Rosemarkie
cross-slab
The
symbol-bearing
cross-slab
at
Rosemarkie
is
in
many
respects
typical
for
its
date,
which
on
the
basis
of
the
nature
of
its
decoration,
can
be
placed
towards
the
end
of
the
eighth
century.
Like
other
slabs
of
this
period
its
symbols
are
large,
extending
over
its
entire
breadth.
Three
are
decorated
with
all-over
patterns,
quite
different
from
the
simple,
concentric
circles
and
mushroom-shapes
of
the
symbols
on
the
earlier
incised
monuments.
The
height
of
the
slab
and
the
decorative
panels
on
the
narrow
edges
are
also
common
at
this
time.
On
the
other
hand,
there
are
unique
aspects
of
the
slab
which
give
it
a
special
place
in
Pictish
art
history.
The
treatment
of
the
front
of
the
cross
is
very
unusual.
Most
of
its
surface
is
covered
with
amazingly
fine
ornament,
regular
interlace
on
the
upper
half
and
arrangements
of
animal
ornament
on
the
lower.
In
the
midst
of
this
flat,
understated
complexity
is
set
a
panel
containing
an
equal-armed
cross.
It
is
placed
within
the
upper
half
of
the
slab,
and
although
it
occupies
a
comparatively
small
area,
the
viewer
is
compelled
to
look
at
it.
There
is
nothing
like
this
elsewhere
in
Pictish
art.
Overview
of
exhibition
layout
Stones
overview