A worn fish and the lower body of a bird survive on the Gairloch Stone. The Gairloch Stone is a Class I Pictish stone, an early-medieval carved symbol stone, found at Achtercairn in Wester Ross.
After discovery around 1880, the stone was reused as masonry in the wall of Gairloch churchyard. It is now kept at Gairloch Heritage Museum, where the surviving symbols can be read despite the damage.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The Gairloch Stone was discovered at Achtercairn in Wester Ross around 1880.
It was later reused as masonry in the cemetery wall of Gairloch church.
Only part of the carved surface survives clearly.
The visible fish is probably a salmon.
The bird above has been interpreted as an eagle, though a goose has also been suggested.
The stone now resides in Gairloch Heritage Museum.
Connections
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Achtercairn
Discovery place in Wester Ross.
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Gairloch church
Cemetery wall where the stone was reused.
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Photo: Macfack / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Gairloch Heritage Museum
Current home of the stone.
What to look for
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Fish symbol
Probably a salmon, still visible.
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Bird fragment
Lower part of a bird survives above the fish.
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Reuse damage
The stone survived imperfectly after being built into a wall.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.7300°N · 5.6936°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- Stone is displayed at Gairloch Heritage Museum.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
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Questions people ask
- What is the Gairloch Stone?
- It is a Class I Pictish symbol stone.
- Where was it found?
- It was found at Achtercairn around 1880.
- Where is it now?
- It is in Gairloch Heritage Museum.
- What symbols survive?
- A fish, probably a salmon, and part of a bird are visible.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Highland
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