Formaston Stone

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Formaston Stone

Location

In the vestibule of the Victory Hall, Aboyne
Aboyne, Aberdeenshire

Date

800-1000 AD

Description

A fragment of a class II Pictish Symbol Stone. It is carved on one face only with a small rimmed ‘mirror’ symbol and part of an interlace filled cross-shaft. The mirror has a long handle with a boss at the end. There are two vertical Ogam inscriptions, Ogam was probably introduced to the Picts from the Gaelic speaking Scots in the 8th Century, they read MAQQoiTALLUORRH and NAHHTVROBBACCAANNEVV. MAQQ may mean son of or descendant of. The oi following is expressed as a small circle.
Pictish stones are classified as follows:
Class I are incised stones bearing the formalised Pictish symbols usually in pairs.
Class II are relief carved slabs bearing symbols in addition to a cross.
Class III are cross slabs without the symbols such as the related Kinord stone at Loch Kinord to the West of Aboyne.

Related Information

Originally found in St. Adamnan's Kirkyard in Formaston (NJ 541 001) just east of Aboyne it was moved to Aboyne castle at the end of the 19th century. The Marquis of Huntly lent the stone to the Carnegie Museum, in Inverurie in the early 1970s. In 2002, at the instigation of the Deeside Antiquarian Society, it was returned to Aboyne through the generosity of the Marquis and the Heritage Lottery Scheme.

Era

Dark ages

Related Artefacts

Categories

Iconography

  • cross, Celtic
  • pictish symbols

Photographer

  • David Watson Hood

Unavailable Data

  • OS Map Reference
  • Information Source
  • Creator
  • External Links

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