A carved Pictish slab from Angus now stands on display in Edinburgh, its erased cross and animal figures still readable in stone. The Woodwrae Stone is a Class II Pictish stone, an early-medieval carved slab with both Christian cross imagery and Pictish symbols.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The Woodwrae Stone dates to about the eighth or ninth century.
It was found in 1819 when foundations of the old castle at Woodwrae in Angus were cleared.
Before discovery it had been reused as a kitchen floor slab in the castle.
After removal it was donated to Sir Walter Scott's collection at Abbotsford House.
The stone passed to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1924 and is now displayed at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The cross face once bore a lobed cross, now deliberately erased, while interlace, keywork, spiral decoration and surrounding creatures remain.
The reverse face is heavily mutilated but includes horsemen, a Pictish double-disc symbol, a step symbol and animals including a bull.
People
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Sir Walter Scott
Received the stone for his Abbotsford House collection.
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John Romilly Allen and Joseph Anderson
Their classification system identifies it as a Class II Pictish stone.
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Ross Trench-Jellicoe
Linked the stone stylistically to an Aberlemno School of Pictish sculpture.
Cultural influences
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Aberlemno School
Scholars have noted the stone's similarity to Class II slabs near Aberlemno and suggested an artistic group influenced from Iona.
Connections
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Woodwrae Castle
The stone was found reused there as a floor slab.
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Abbotsford House
The stone entered Sir Walter Scott's collection there after 1819.
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Museum of Scotland
The stone is now displayed there in Edinburgh.
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Aberlemno
The stone may have originated near Aberlemno, according to stylistic suggestions.
Discovery & excavation
The stone's rediscovery came through castle clearance in 1819, revealing a reused carved cross-slab that had served as a domestic floor slab.
Finds now held at: Woodwrae Castle; Abbotsford House; Museum of Scotland.
What to look for
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Erased cross face
The main cross was deliberately removed, but its borders and decoration survive.
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Fantastic creatures
Creatures around the cross include a beast with human legs hanging from its mouth.
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Reverse symbols
Horsemen, a double disc, a step symbol and animals remain on the damaged reverse.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 55.9470°N · 3.1892°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
No admission arrangement is stated in the source.
- The stone was found in Angus but is now displayed in Edinburgh.
- It had previously been in Sir Walter Scott's collection at Abbotsford House.
Nearby places
Sacred place · Medieval
St Giles' Cathedral
City of Edinburgh
For centuries the principal church of Edinburgh and a crucible of the Scottish Reformation, St Giles' is crowned by one of only two surviving medie…
Questions people ask
- What is the Woodwrae Stone?
- It is an eighth- or ninth-century Class II Pictish cross-slab now displayed in Edinburgh.
- Where was it found?
- It was found in 1819 at Woodwrae Castle in Angus, reused as a kitchen floor slab.
- Why is it listed in Edinburgh?
- Although found in Angus, it is now on display at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
- What is carved on it?
- It has an erased cross face with surviving decoration and a damaged reverse with horsemen, Pictish symbols and animals.
- What is a Class II Pictish stone?
- It is a carved Pictish slab that combines Christian cross imagery with Pictish symbols.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · City of Edinburgh
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