Pink granite from a Craigellachie field carries Pictish symbols on two adjoining faces. The Dandaleith stone is a Class I Pictish stone, an early symbol stone without a Christian cross, discovered during ploughing in May 2013.
The stone matters because its arrangement may be unique. One face carries a notched rectangle and Z-rod with a mirror case, while the adjacent face carries an eagle with a crescent and V-rod, making the object important both as a find and as a carved design.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
The name
Class I Pictish stones are early carved stones with Pictish symbols and no Christian cross.
History
The Dandaleith stone was discovered during ploughing in May 2013.
Its exact find location has not been reported because the site is archaeologically vulnerable.
The stone underwent conservation before going on display at Elgin Museum.
Its symbols are carved on two adjacent faces, an unusual arrangement that may be unique.
What to look for
-
Two carved faces
Symbols appear on adjacent faces rather than only on a single broad face.
-
Notched rectangle and Z-rod
This Pictish symbol group appears with a mirror case on one face.
-
Eagle and crescent
The other face carries an eagle and a crescent with V-rod, another Pictish symbol pairing.
-
Conserved museum object
The stone was conserved before display at Elgin Museum.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.4900°N · 3.1870°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
- The stone went on display at Elgin Museum after conservation.
- The exact findspot is deliberately unreported due to archaeological vulnerability.
Nearby places
Questions people ask
- What is the Dandaleith stone?
- It is a Class I Pictish symbol stone from Craigellachie in Scotland.
- When was it discovered?
- It was discovered during ploughing in May 2013.
- Why is the findspot not public?
- The exact location is unreported because the archaeological site is vulnerable.
- Where is the stone displayed?
- After conservation, it went on display at Elgin Museum.
- Why is its carving unusual?
- The Pictish symbols are carved on two adjacent faces, an arrangement the source says may be unique.
Sources
Explore more: Carved stones · Pictish & early medieval · Moray
The Ancient Codex, in your pocket
Get the Pocket Codex app
Carry the directory with you — Dandaleith stone and thousands of ancient places across Britain and Ireland, offline, wherever you roam.