Find Spot record MHG39735 - Dunrobin, Dairy Park, long cists and symbol stone
Summary
No summary available.
Location
Grid reference | Centred NC 8493 0056 (6m by 6m) (Buffered by site type) |
---|---|
Map sheet | NC80SW |
Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
Old County | SUTHERLAND |
Civil Parish | GOLSPIE |
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
NC80SW 24 8494 0057.
NC 8494 0047 (OS 6"map, annotated by J Close-Brooks 13 February 1977).
A long cist, partly covered by a Class I symbol stone and containing the skeletons of two adult males, one, of a man 6ft tall, being larger, later and much better preserved than the other, was found by workmen levelling the E part of the field below Castle Dairy (NC 8475 0050), 'six paces west from the new wall of Meg's Garden'. (Information contained in letter from G Gunn to Duke of Sutherland, 17 May 1854:
Ms 606.6 in Aberdeen Unviersity library). A report of the find was sent to the Duke of Sutherland on 17th May 1854 and it was examined by Dr Ross on 24 May.
It was paved, 8ft long NE-SW and the top and sides were each composed of three slabs. One of the cover slabs, of red sandstone, measured 3ft 8ins by 1ft 11ins by 5ins thick, and bore, incised, the fish, the 'tuning fork' and the mirror and comb symbols. The skeletal remains were accompanied by what has been identified as part of the socket of an iron spearhead, possibly Viking (Grieg 1940).
During Ross's visit, the workmen uncovered another long cist of similar construction and orientation, which contained the intact extended skeleton of a male of advanced years, lying with the feet to the NE. The remains were of the same size and condition as that of the primary burial in the first cist. There were neither grave-goods nor sculptures.
The Duke of Sutherland presented the contents of the cists to the NMAS (Acc Nos: ET 26 and IL 209), and the symbol stone is in Dunrobin Museum (Acc No: 1854.1).
These cists, together with that recorded on NC80SW 16, indicate the possible existence of a pre-Norse long cist cemetery comparable to Ackergill (ND35SW 12), with a later, possibly Viking, burial inserted into one of the cists.
(Previous to the publication of J Close-Brooks (1981) these cists were sited to NC 858 010 from Allen's locating them to 'the 50ft contour, half a mile east of Dunrobin Castle'.)
J J Ross 1855; NMAS 1892; J Anderson and J R Allen 1903; RCAHMS 1911;
S Grieg 1940; J Close-Brooks 1981; Information from TS of Catalogue of Dunrobin Museum, by A S Henshall; OS 6"map annotated by A S Henshall,
13 February 1977. <1>-<6>
A stone found in 1854 formed the capstone of a cist; the location (to the SW of the Castle not to the E as was formerly thought) is discussed in Close-Brooks 1980, 343-4. This stone bears the incised symbols of a fish, 'tuning fork', and mirror and comb. Dunrobin Museum.
RCAHMS 1985. <7>
Class I - Dunrobin 1 - symbol stone bearing a salmon over a tuning fork and a mirror-and-comb.
A.Mack 1997 p.124. <8>
Photographs of the Dunrobin 1 symbol stone on display at Dunrobin Museum, were sumbitted to the HER by a participant in a Community Timeline course, run by ARCH. <9>
Sources/Archives (12)
- --- SHG1225 Text/Publication/Article: Anderson, J. 1875. 'Notes on the relics of the Viking period of the Northmen in Scotland, illustrated by specimens in the museum', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 10 1872-4, p.536-94. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 536-94. 572-3.
- --- SHG350 Text/Publication/Monograph: Stuart, J. 1856. Sculptured stones of Scotland. 1. 35; pl. 112.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1.
- <1> SHG1299 Text/Publication/Article: Ross, J J. 1855. 'Notices of two ancient graves recently opened in the vicinity of Dunrobin Castle, Sutherlandshire', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 1 1851-4, p.297-9. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 297-9. 297-9.
- <2> SHG2591 Text/Publication/Volume: NMAS. 1892. Catalogue of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. 194, 276.
- <3> SHG1883 Text/Publication/Volume: Allen and Anderson, J R and J. 1903. The early Christian monuments of Scotland: a classified illustrated descriptive list of the monuments with an analysis of their symbolism and ornamentation. pt. 3, 42.
- <4> SHG2657 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Second report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Sutherland. . 101, No. 296.
- <5> SHG2295 Text/Publication/Volume: Grieg, S. 1940. Viking antiquities in Scotland. 17.
- <6> SHG750 Text/Publication/Article: Close-Brooks, J. 1981. 'Excavations in the Dairy Park, Dunrobin, Sutherland, 1977', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 110 1978-80, p.328-45. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 328-45. 343-4.
- <7> SHG2712 Text/Publication/Volume: Ritchie, J N G. 1985. Pictish symbol stones: a handlist 1985. 13.
- <8> SHG2456 Text/Publication/Volume: Mack, A. 1997. Field guide to the Pictish symbol stones. 124.
- <9> SHG24858 Image/Photograph(s): Private individuals. 2010. Photographs submitted by participants in ARCH Community Timeline course in Evanton and Golspie. Colour digital. Yes. Digital.
Finds (1)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Nov 4 2010 10:45AM