Although things might be a little different on your visit, you can still enjoy exploring Fowlis Wester Sculptured Stone.
Find out more about this historic place below.
Explore the history
The Fowlis Wester Sculptured Stone stands 3m tall and is made of red sandstone. It’s unique in that the cross carved in relief on one face has arms that project 5cm beyond the sides of the slab. This is enough to give it the impression of a free-standing cross – the only known example of its kind in Great Britain.
The reverse face is also unusual. The panel contains, from the top, a double-disc and Z-rod Pictish symbol, a horseman, a beast, two horsemen riding abreast, and a cow with a bell around its neck being led by one man and followed by a procession of six other men.
Below the procession is a V-rod with a bird. The very bottom of the stone depicts a man being devoured by a beast. Two beasts, one of which is devouring a man, may seem interesting, but they’re not the most unusual aspect of this scene. It’s the man leading a cow which is exceptional: no other Pictish stone bears this image.