MHG9522 - Cross Slab, Cnoc Na Dalach Baile
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- CROSS SLAB (Early Medieval - 561 AD to 1057 AD)
- (Alternate Type) CIST (Pictish to Early Medieval - 300 AD? to 1057 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
Cross Slab (NR) OS 6" map (1962)
A recumbent slab lying in open moorland and bearing an incised cross of a type otherwise unknown in Scotland and Ireland, only known parallels being in County Durham, Radnorshire and Carmarthenshire. It lies NE-SW and is irregularly shaped of roughly hewn local sandstone and measures 4ft 6inches by 1ft 9 inches by 8 inches thick and is sculptured on one face only. The latin cross has rounded ends to shaft and arms with circular depressions in the middle of each. Parallel incised lines are cut down sides of the shaft and arms.
RCAHMS 1911
The cross-slab is as described but it covers a cist-like structure now filled with small stones. Visited by OS (WDJ) 1960
The cross-slab lies in a hollow. There is no evidence of a cist-like structure and likewise of any significant stones.
Visited by OS (AA) 1972
No change to latest field report. The absence of the stones in the photograph (1960) seems explained by a small marker cairn just by the cross-slab. Visited by OS (JM) 1977
Dail a’ Bhaile, Strathy, Sutherland, cross-slab
Measurements: H 1.39m, W 0.53m, D 0.20m
Stone type: sandstone
Place of discovery: NC 8310 6494
Present location: in situ.
Evidence for discovery: first recorded in 1900 (Munro 1900).
Present condition: weathered.
Description:
An irregularly shaped slab now lying prone is carved in both false relief and incision with two crosses. The main cross is an incised outline cross with ball terminals to the arms and the shaft, and a central circle in the cross-head. This is itself outlined by a deep groove, giving the impression of relief carving. Beside the shaft on the left-hand side is a simple sunken equal-armed cross. Although there is some indication of the equal-armed cross on the drawing in Munro (1900, fig 1), it is not mentioned in the text, nor in ECMS (1903) or RCAHMS (1911), and there may be a possibility that it was added or ‘improved’ later in the twentieth century.
Date: early medieval.
References: Munro 1900; ECMS pt 3, 55 (Strathy); RCAHMS 1911, no 260.
Early Medieval Carved Stones Project, A Ritchie 2016
Sources/Archives (18)
- --- SHG11635 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11636 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11637 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11638 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11639 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11640 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11641 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11642 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11643 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG11644 Image/Photograph(s): Priest's Stone, Strathy.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG12420 Image/Photograph(s): Strathy, Dail a' Bhaite.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG12421 Image/Photograph(s): Strathy, Dail a' Bhaite.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG12422 Image/Photograph(s): Strathy, Dail a' Bhaite.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG12423 Image/Photograph(s): Strathy, Dail a' Bhaite.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG12424 Image/Photograph(s): Strathy, Dail a' Bhaite.. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG23282 Interactive Resource/Online Database: Historic Environment Scotland. Canmore. 6929.
- --- SHG2657 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Second report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Sutherland. .
- --- SHG3008 Text/Publication/Article: Alexander Munro. 1900. ''Note on an incised stone cross at Strathy, Sutherlandshire.', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 34 1900, p.252-4. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 252-4. 252-4.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NC 8310 6493 (10m by 10m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NC86SW |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | FARR |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/6929 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
- https://highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/the-priests-stone/ (Link to the Pictish trail website)
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