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Newton House, The Newton Stone

Ogham Inscribed Stone (Early Medieval), Pictish Symbol Stone (Early Medieval)

Site Name Newton House, The Newton Stone

Classification Ogham Inscribed Stone (Early Medieval), Pictish Symbol Stone (Early Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Newton In The Garioch

Canmore ID 18086

Site Number NJ62NE 12.02

NGR NJ 6623 2972

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/18086

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Culsalmond
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Gordon
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Newton House 2 (The Newton Stone), Culsalmond, Aberdeenshire, inscribed Pictish symbol stone

Measurements: H 2.03m (above ground level), W 0.50m, D 0.26m

Stone type: blue gneiss

Place of discovery: NJ 6623 2972

Present location: still in situ in the grounds of Newton House.

Evidence for discovery: found around 1803 and first recorded by John Stuart in 1835 in a wood about a mile from Newton House, and subsequently moved to the grounds of the house (discussed in Forsyth 1996, 420-2).

Present condition: some weathering.

Description

An irregularly shaped natural pillar, its two inscriptions in ogham and half uncials have been long recognised, but RCAHMS fieldwork in the later 1990s revealed that there are also two curvilinear incised designs. The ogham inscription runs vertically down the stone and curves round to ascend again, and it includes the personal names Idarnon and Vorenn. The half uncial letters run horizontally in six rows across the top of the stone, beginning at the same level as the ogham, and it is difficult to read but appears to include personal names. The two inscriptions are thought to be contemporary but not identical (Forsyth 1996, 425, 439). At approximately the level of the curve in the ogham inscription but on the other flank of the stone, there is a roughly executed mirror symbol and a spiral motif.

Date: sixth or seventh century.

References: Stuart 1856, 1, pl 1; Okasha 1985, 54-6; Forsyth 1996, 420-42; RCAHMS 2007, 118, 125; Fraser 2008, no 38.2.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017

Activities

Field Visit (13 March 1969)

Stones as described; no further information regarding original find-spots, or graves.

Visited by OS (NKB) 13 March 1969.

Reference

The ogam-inscribed stone (The 'Newton Stone') is of blue gneiss, 2.03m x 0.5m and bears at the top six horizontal lines of characters and an ogam-inscription down the left angle and lower front of the stone. The Pictish symbol stone is of blue-grey greiss. It measures 2.05 x 0.6 x 0.41m and is roughly pillar-shaped, incised with the double-disc and serpent crossed by a z-rod symbol.

(Unattributed) information on OS Archaeology Record Card.

References

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