Rare find of Pictish stone at north Highland graveyard by Thurso woman looking for ancestors
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A Thurso woman researching her family tree had the find of a lifetime when she discovered an ancient Pictish stone while uncovering her ancestors' graves at Ulbster in Caithness.
Fiona Begg found the Pictish stone, which may date to the 8th century, in the historic graveyard at the Mains Of Ulbster which is on land owned by Lord Thurso and is reputed to be the site of a chapel dedicated to St Martin.
"On one visit to Ulbster, I felt something underfoot and after removing a little of the soil I uncovered a flat gravestone [that] had an inscription for someone who belonged to my family tree," said Fiona.
She gradually uncovered more stone slabs that were marking graves and which had become submerged beneath soil and grass. The slabs had not been recorded before so Fiona decided to take photographs of them but when she brushed away the dirt from one she noticed wavy lines on the surface. "My first thought was that this one had an inscription. Once it was fully uncovered the pattern stood out, it looked amazing. I knew that it was a Pictish stone."
Later that day, Fiona wrote to Lord and Lady Thurso about the discovery since it was on their estate and shared a photograph of the Pictish stone. "They kindly wrote back and said they were very interested in the work we were doing and particularly the discoveries that had been made."
Lord Thurso said it was a "wonderful find" and that he was delighted that a local organisation called the Yarrows Heritage Trust (YHT) was helping with the removal of the stone from the graveyard so it could be properly restored and eventually displayed.
Fiona said: "Roland Spencer Jones and Islay Macleod from the Yarrows Heritage Trust have taken on the responsibility of managing the stone with the correct permissions in place prior to moving it and that the stone is safely transported to a place where it can be dried, cleaned, and restored."
Islay MacLeod from YHT, which promotes the archaeological landscape of the area, said: "It's a very significant find. We know there was a little chapel there dedicated to St Martin. There was another Ulbster stone discovered in the same graveyard which is in Caithness Horizons [now North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso]. It had been inscribed with 1770 on it to serve as a grave marker." She added that the area is particularly rich in prehistoric remains and that she is currently involved in the uncovering of an Iron Age settlement close by at Swartigill.
Roland Spencer Jones, secretary of YHT, added: “New Pictish stones keep popping up, usually being found by chance. Each one is special, each one contributes to the slowly growing collection of Pictish art. Each one helps us understand a little bit more. It’s just great that this new Pictish stone has been found in Caithness.”
Fiona Begg said that she sent pictures of the stone to her daughter Jessica whose partner, Hamish Lamley, is knowledgeable on Pictish art. Hamish knew how significant the find was and asked Professor Gordon Noble from the archaeology department of the University of Aberdeen to have a look. The professor carefully recorded the images on the surface and explained that the Pictish art on the front of the stone were two incised symbols – a double disc and Z-rod, and a mirror.
Fiona says that she is liaising with Kirsty Cameron from the archaeological advice and consultancy team at the Highland Council and that she hopes the stone will eventually be put on display at the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso with the other Ulbster Pictish symbol stone which has been dated to the 8th century. She has requested it be called St Martin's Stone in honour of the former chapel at the site and so that it it is distinct from the other Ulbster Pictish slab found there. Sarah Begg, Fiona's niece, was also at the the graveyard when the stone was uplifted and said the rare find will spur her on to develop her interest in history and archaeology.
Islay thanked David Dunnett from DD Joinery for coming out on Saturday morning with a JCB telescopic handler to carefully remove the stone from its long held position in the burial ground. The stone was taken by David into the village of Thrumster where drystone walling expert George Gunn took charge of it until it is moved to Edinburgh for expert analysis and cleaning.
More information will be available on the YHT website which can be found at: www.yarrowsheritagetrust.co.uk/. The Trust has also been involved with archaeologists from Orkney on its dig at Swartigill which lies a couple of miles away on the Thrumster Estate.
