Fish, crescent, disc and animal symbols turn a compact granite slab into a rare survival of Pictish visual language.
Quick facts
- Date
- Late Iron Age; re-erected 1854
- Architect / designer
- Pictish sculptor or sculptors not identified
- Type
- Class I Pictish symbol stone
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM76)
- OS grid reference
- NJ 79303 16291
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The grey granite stone is incised rather than carved in relief. One face carries a fish and triple disc-and-bar; the other bears a crescent-and-V-rod and the enigmatic animal conventionally called an elephant. Its nineteenth-century base makes the ancient fragment upright and legible.
Its story
The stone was found within Kintore churchyard and set into its present base in 1854. It entered state protection in 1923, although the original paperwork was incomplete and the scheduling was formally corrected in 1997.
Why it is included
Scheduling recognises a strong example of Class I Pictish carving whose symbols contribute to the study of belief, status and artistic practice in the late Iron Age.
What to notice
- The fish and triple disc-and-bar on the front face.
- The crescent-and-V-rod on the reverse.
- The clear boundary between the ancient slab and its 1854 base.
Reading the surroundings
Approach respectfully through the active churchyard and keep to established paths. Do not touch, trace, chalk or lean objects against the stone, and avoid obstructing worship, funerals or maintenance.
Timeline
- Late Iron Age A Pictish carver incised paired symbols on the granite slab.
- 1854 The recovered stone was erected on a new base in the churchyard.
- 1923 The monument first entered the schedule of nationally important sites.
- 1997 A revised legal record clarified the protected monument and its position.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The carving cannot be closely dated and the circumstances of its discovery are only briefly recorded; interpretations of individual symbols remain open.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Kintore Symbol Stone, SM76 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: SM76 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
- Aberdeenshire Historic Environment Record: Kintore Parish Church — Local archaeological context for the churchyard and symbol stone.
Location
OS grid reference NJ 79303 16291 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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