Inside Nigg parish church, the restored cross-slab shows a dense world of carved figures and symbols. The Nigg Stone is a Class II Pictish cross-slab, an upright early-medieval monument where a Christian cross shares the stone with Pictish imagery.
It is incomplete, but still ranks among the finest Pictish carved stones. The slab was shattered in the 18th century, crudely stapled, partly lost, and then restored after a missing fragment was recovered from the stream below the churchyard.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
The Nigg Stone was carved as an early-medieval Pictish cross-slab, perhaps near the end of the 8th century.
It originally stood at the gateway to Nigg parish church grounds.
The stone was shattered in the 18th century and crudely joined with metal staples.
Part of the missing fragment was recovered in 1998 by Niall M Robertson from the stream below the churchyard.
The recovered fragment preserved much of the Pictish beast symbol.
The fragment was reattached during restoration in 2013.
The stone is a scheduled monument and is displayed inside the parish church.
Connections
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Nigg parish church
Current display setting and original churchyard context.
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Niall M Robertson
Recovered a missing fragment in 1998.
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Iona
The cross-side carving has close similarities to high crosses associated with Iona.
What to look for
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High-relief cross
Elaborate front face with carving related to Iona traditions.
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Reverse scene
Includes eagle, Pictish Beast, harp, sheep and hunting imagery.
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Restored fragment
Recovered piece preserves much of the Pictish Beast.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.7194°N · 4.0086°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- Stone is displayed in Nigg parish church; source notes summer opening and a locally kept key.
Nearby places
Minor monument · Medieval
Market Cross, Church Street, Cromarty
Highland
Mercat cross with HES-listed pre-1800 evidence (1578).
- Easy path
Questions people ask
- What is the Nigg Stone?
- It is a Class II Pictish cross-slab, an early-medieval carved Christian and symbolic monument.
- Where is it displayed?
- It is displayed in a room inside Nigg parish church.
- What happened to it?
- It was shattered in the 18th century, repaired crudely, and later restored.
- What makes it important?
- It is one of the finest surviving Pictish carved stones and preserves complex imagery.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Highland
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