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Aberlemno Sculptured Stones

Aberlemno, Angus
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Important notice

Aberlemno III is currently undergoing conservation work in Edinburgh after it fell during a storm earlier this year. Find out more about its conservation on our YouTube channel

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Witness a battle and a hunt at this magnificent range of sculptured stones, featuring some of the finest surviving Pictish carving.

There are four stones with Pictish carvings in the village of Aberlemno, variously dating between about AD 500 and 800. Three stand on a roadside, while one stands in the village churchyard. They comprise: 

  • a leaning, reused prehistoric standing stone 

  • an unshaped boulder bearing traces of two symbols 

  • a magnificent cross-slab 

  • a sandstone cross-slab in the churchyard 

The stones show a range of carvings, from characteristic Pictish symbols to overtly Christian iconography. 

Close-up of sculptured stone showing horse and people carrying tools or weapons
Many intricate carvings can be seen on the Pictish stones in Aberlemno
Intricate details and patterns on a carved stone cross. Many resemble celtic crosses and knots.
Close-up of sculptured stone showing a lion and a deer

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