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MHG17469 - Findspot of three symbol stones, (Kintradwell nos. 2, 3 and 4), Kintradwell Links

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NC90NW 14 9316 0838.

(NC 9316 0838) Symbol Stones found AD 1872 and AD 1873 (NAT). OS 6"map, (1964)

A symbol stone was found 1872, close to railway on S side, on Kintradwell beach about 1/4 mile NE of Cinn Trolla Broch (NC90NW 5). Now in Dunrobin Museum Acc No 1872.2 Metric measurements 1.13m x 0.62m x 0.10m. It is a slab of red sandstone of irregular oval shape, 3ft 8ins long by 2ft 2ins wide by 3 1/2ins thick, sculptured with incised lines on one face which is very uneven. On this face are the crescent and V-shaped rod symbol and the mirror and comb symbol, placed side by side. The crescent is ornamented with curved lines. The mirror has a double disc handle and the comb has teeth on one side only. ('A') NC90NW 14.2
In 1873, in the same vicinity as the previous find, another sculptured slab of irregular triangular shape, 2ft 9ins long by 1ft 3ins wide by 4ins thick, sculptured with incised lines on one face was found. The S-shaped symbol ornamented with straight and curved lines had a semi-circular hollow in the end of the 'S' and just below it on the right, the mirror or triple disc symbol. ('B') NC90NW 14.1 Dunrobin Museum 1873.3. Metric dimensions : 0.84m x 0.41m x 0.10m.
Another symbol stone was found in 1873 in the same area. It is a fragment of sandstone of irregular shape, 1ft 6ins long by 1ft wide by 2ins thick. On the face are four parallel straight lines, two of which are closed at one end, probably forming part of the tuning fork symbol. ('C') NC90NW 14.3 Dunrobin Museum 1873.4. Metric dimensions 0.43m x 0.31m x 0.05m.
The three stones are in the Dunrobin Museum.
J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; RCAHMS 1911. <1><2>

The symbol stone 'A' is numbered No 9, in Dunrobin Castle Museum; 'B' is No 8, and 'C' is No 10. The exhibit card states that they were found near each other at the spot described ie about NC 9316 0838.
Visited by OS (W D J) 3 April 1962.

New Acc Nos: 'A' 1872.2, 'B' 1873.3, 'C' 1873.4. 'A' and 'C' were donated by a Major Houston, and 'B' and by Dr J Aitken, Inverness. Information from TS of Catalogue of Dunrobin Museum, by A S Henshall.

Three class I symbol stones showing :
Kintradwell 2 - a frament bearing an ogee over a triple disc (see MHG9794)
Kintradwell 3 - a mirror-and-comb over a crescent and V-rod (see MHG9793)
Kintradwell 4 - a fragment bearing the prongs of a tuning fork (see MHG9792)
A.Mack 1997 p.126 <3>

Kintradwell Nos. 2, 3 and 4 (previously referred to as 8, 9 and 10) were catalogued during an inventory of Dunrobin Castle Museum's collection in 2019 by ARCH. See individual child records for details of each. <4>

See attached child records for each of the three stones described above. For other pictish symbol stones from Kintradwell, see MHG9791 (Kintradwell No.1) and MHG9795 (Kintradwell No. 5).

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 9315 0838 (6m by 6m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC90NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	LOTH

Finds (3)

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