Tain and District Museum

Taigh-Tasgaidh Bhaile Dhubhthaich agus a Sgìre

The Ardjachie Stone

Clach Àird-Achaidh

The Ardjachie Pictish carved stone with its unusual Pictish symbols as well as cupmarks dating back to the Bronze Age – is an example of how the Picts sometimes re-used prehistoric stones. This has been a special stone over many centuries – what stories could it tell? You can also see fragments of two Pictish stones found at nearby Edderton.

The Ardjachie Stone can be seen in the churchyard next to Tain Museum, which has two colourful galleries exploring the story of Tain’s own saint, St Duthac, and Tain’s history as an important medieval pilgrim destination. Find out about King James IV, who visited Tain at least 18 times as a pilgrim during his reign.

There is also a fascinating collection of local artefacts illustrating the rich history of Easter Ross, including a hoard of foreign coins and an impressive display of silver smithed in Tain.

Further information

The Ardjachie Stone is located in the churchyard next to the museum, and was found on a farm in the Tarbat Peninsula of Easter Ross in 1960. It is an uncut boulder of local sandstone incised with small circular cavities known as cup marks which date to the Bronze Age. The stone also has two unusual Pictish carvings – a ‘wheel’-like disc with central hub and twelve spokes, carved above a plain step symbol (inverted “L”). The step symbol (inverted “L”) is uncommon but other examples have been found in the area between the Dornoch Firth and the Cromarty Firth, including the Thief’s Stone near Alness and a carved stone found at Ardross.

For more information, see https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG33686

Inside the museum, you can see fragments of two Pictish stones found at Edderton Churchyard in 1992. https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG7492