Monument record MHG5725 - Churchton Bay, cross-incised stone

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred NG 5455 3631 (5m by 5m)
Map sheet NG53NW
Geographical Area SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Old County INVERNESS-SHIRE
Civil Parish PORTREE

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

NG53NW 2 5455 3631.

NG 5455 3631 Cross (NR)
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

On a sloping rock facing SE, immediately to the W of a shed on the S side of the old pier at Raasay and about 9' above high-water mark, is an incised Chi-Rho cross 3'7" in length. The head of the cross is formed by four intersecting curves within a square, the sides of which are 20" in length, and the shaft, 23 " in length and 2 1/2" in breadth for the greater part of its length is composed of a medial line between two marginal lines. Nearby was found a Pictish symbol stone bearing a similarly incised cross (RCAHMS 1928; PSAS 1907) (NG53NW 3). Crosses of this type are dated by Curle (C L Curle 1940) to the second half of the 7th century, but see Radford (C R Radford 1942) and Stevenson (R B K Stevenson 1955) who criticise this paper, and Galbraith (1933) who gives a second half of the 6th century date on the suggestion that it is connected with St. Moluag's mission to Raasay. It is mentioned by Boswell (F A Pottle and C H Bennett 1963) as the place where the Macleods of Raasay practised their devotions and noted by him as one of the St. Maol-luags sanctuary markers (q.v. NG53NW 4).
Name Book; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1907; C L Curle 1940; C R Radford 1942;
R B K Stevenson 97-128; F A Pottle and C H Bennett 1963; J J Galbraith 1933.

An incised cross as described above.
Surveyed at 1:2500
11005

The carvings were recorded by ACFA in 2005 during their ongoing project to record the archaeological and historic monuments on Raasay. <1>

This cross-incised stone and the cross slab with Pictish symbols found nearby (MHG5726) exemplify the earliest phase of the interface between cross and symbol (Henderson & Henderson 2006, 174).

Add to bibliography:

Henderson, George and Isabel 2006. The Art of the Picts: Sculpture and Metalwork in Early Medieval Scotland, 174. <1>

Sources/Archives (11)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Galbraith, J J. 1933. 'The Chi-Rho Crosses on Raasay: their importance and chronological relationships', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 67 1932-3, p.318-20. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 318-20. 318-20.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Curle, C L. 1940. 'The chronology of the early christian monuments of Scotland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 74 1939-40, p.60-117. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 60-117. 68-74; illust, map.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Radford, C A R. 1942. 'The early christian monuments of Scotland', Antiquity Vol. 16 1942, p.1-18. Antiquity. 1-18. 1-18.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Pottle and Bennett, F A and C H. 1963. Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 1773. 118.
  • --- Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1928. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Ninth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. . 184-5, No. 581.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Stevenson, R B K. 1955. Pictish art. SHG2904. 97-128. 97-128.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Name Book (County). Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. (Inverness) Book No. 15, 15.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1907. 'Donations to and purchases from the Museum and Library with exhibits', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 41 1906-7, p.9-10,65-7,108-15,183-5,301-2,415-20,. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 9-10,65-7,108-15,183-5,30. 435; illust..
  • --- Image/Photograph(s): Inscribed cross on rock, Clachan, Raasay. Digital Image. .
  • <1> Text/Publication/Monograph: Wood, J S and Macdonald, J (eds). 2005. An Archaeological Survey of St Moluag's Chapel and Pictish Stones and Monuments of The Isle of Raasay. ACFA Occasional Papers. 82. Paper (Original). p.30.
  • <1> Collection/Project Archive: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2012. Digital site gazetteer and archive for ARCH Community Timeline Project: Broadford. Yes. Digital. Site 45.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

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Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Oct 9 2012 10:42AM

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