A tall pointed sandstone slab stands in a field near Edderton. Clach Biorach is an older standing stone later made into a Class I Pictish stone, with symbols carved on one face without a Christian cross.
The stone was probably erected sometime from the Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age, and Pictish symbols were later added in the Late Iron Age to Early Medieval period. The surviving north-face carvings show a salmon above a double-disc with a Z-rod; an earlier recorded circle below is no longer visible.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The standing stone was probably erected between the Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age.
Pictish symbols were later engraved on the north face sometime between about 500 and 700 AD.
When first recorded in 1780, a circle no longer visible today was shown below the main symbols.
The stone is now identified as a Class I Pictish stone near Edderton.
Connections
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Edderton
Village near the stone.
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Edderton Cross Slab
Related local monument listed in the source pack.
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Easter Ross
Regional context for the Pictish carving tradition.
What to look for
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Salmon symbol
Pictish salmon at the top of the carved face.
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Double-disc and Z-rod
Main surviving symbol pair beneath the salmon.
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Pointed stone form
Tall sandstone standing stone older than the Pictish carvings.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.8369°N · 4.1758°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- Standing stone in a field near Edderton; access not established.
Nearby places
Sacred place · Medieval
Dornoch Cathedral
Highland
It has served as a place of worship for eight centuries, from the seat of the medieval Bishops of Caithness to a working Church of Scotland parish…
Questions people ask
- What is Clach Biorach?
- It is a standing stone near Edderton with later Pictish symbols.
- What does the name mean?
- The source pack says Clach Biorach means the Pointed Stone.
- What symbols are visible?
- A salmon above a double-disc with a Z-rod.
- When were the symbols carved?
- The pack places them in the Late Iron Age to Early Medieval period, around 500 to 700 AD.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Highland
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