A tall red granite slab near Inverurie carries a cross, Pictish symbols, edge patterns, and a famous notch. The Maiden Stone is a Class II Pictish monument, meaning a carved stone that combines Christian imagery with older Pictish symbols.
Its imagery is both formal and legendary. The cross-slab may date from the late eighth or early ninth century, while local tradition explains the notch through a story of a laird’s daughter, a wager, and supernatural pursuit.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The Maiden Stone is also known as the Drumdurno Stone after a nearby farm.
It probably dates from the late eighth or early ninth century AD.
The monument is made of red granite and is among the tallest Pictish monuments.
The west side shows a ringed cross, a human figure, and two fish-monsters.
The reverse shows a centaur, a notched rectangle and Z-rod, a Pictish Beast, a mirror, and a comb.
The human figure and fish-monsters may represent Jonah and the Whale.
Local legend explains the triangular notch as the place where the Devil grasped the maiden.
The site is in Historic Environment Scotland care and is open at all times.
People
-
Daughter of the Laird of Balquhain
legendary maiden whose story explains the stone name and notch.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.3120°N · 2.4934°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The pack says the stone is in Historic Environment Scotland care and open at all times.
Nearby places
Carved stone · Pictish & early medieval
Maiden Stone
Aberdeenshire
The cross-slab was carved probably in the late 8th or early 9th century AD as a Class II Pictish monument, combining Christian and pre-Christian Pi…
- Near Inverurie
- 1 min walk from car park
- Easy path
Questions people ask
- What is the Maiden Stone?
- It is a late eighth- or early ninth-century Pictish cross-slab near Inverurie.
- What is a Class II Pictish monument?
- It is a Pictish carved stone that combines Christian cross imagery with traditional Pictish symbols.
- What symbols are carved on it?
- The pack lists a ringed cross, fish-monsters, a centaur, a notched rectangle and Z-rod, a Pictish Beast, mirror, and comb.
- Why is there a notch?
- Local legend says the notch marks where the Devil grasped the maiden’s shoulder as she fled.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Aberdeenshire
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