A tall Old Red Sandstone slab stands in the fields at Cossans. St Orland’s Stone is a Pictish cross-slab, a decorated early-medieval monument with a cross face and symbol face, still standing in place between Kirriemuir and Forfar.
The stone matters because its two faces combine worship, status, story, and repair. A ringed cross with knotwork, fantastic beasts, Pictish rod symbols, horsemen, hounds, a loaded boat, and iron staple repairs make the slab one of Angus’s most complex outdoor carvings.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
St Orland's Stone stands in situ at Cossans in the former parish of Glamis.
The stone is a Class II Pictish cross-slab.
The cross face carries a ringed Celtic cross with knotwork and spiral designs.
The rear face includes crescent and V-rod and double disc and Z-rod symbols.
The rear also includes a hunting scene, a boat with passengers, and a beast attacking or facing a bull.
The stone has been broken and repaired with iron staples now placed on the edges.
People
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John Romilly Allen and Joseph Anderson
Their classification system identifies the slab as Class II.
Connections
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Photo: Nick / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Kirriemuir
Town northeast of the stone.
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Photo: Russ Hamer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Forfar
Town east of the stone.
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Glamis
Former parish and wider carved-stone landscape.
What to look for
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Ringed cross
The cross is decorated with interlaced knotwork and spiral designs.
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Fantastic beasts
Interlaced animal forms fill the lower cross-face quadrants.
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Pictish rod symbols
The rear face carries crescent and V-rod and double disc and Z-rod symbols.
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Hunting and boat scenes
Horsemen, hounds, and a loaded boat appear below the symbols.
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Staple repairs
Iron staples reinforce the broken stone at its edges.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 56.6382°N · 2.9785°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
- In-situ field stone; follow responsible access and avoid disturbing surrounding land.
Nearby places
Carved stone · Pictish & early medieval
St Orland's Stone
Angus
The stone is a Class II Pictish cross-slab - worked Old Red Sandstone carved in relief on both faces, bearing Pictish symbols alongside a Christian…
- Near Forfar
- 15 min walk from car park
- Easy path
Fortified place · Medieval
Glamis Castle
Angus
Home of the Lyon family since the fourteenth century, Glamis binds a medieval tower house to royal births, a notorious witchcraft trial and some of…
- Easy path
Questions people ask
- What is St Orland's Stone?
- It is a Class II Pictish cross-slab at Cossans in Angus.
- Is it still in its original place?
- The source describes it as standing in situ.
- What is carved on it?
- It has a ringed cross, knotwork, Pictish symbols, horsemen, hounds, a boat, and animal scenes.
- Has the stone been damaged?
- Yes. It has been broken and repaired with iron staples.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Angus
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