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Aberlemno churchyard cross slab is a carved stone monument of Pictish origin located in Angus, Scotland. The slab stands within the churchyard at Aberlemno, where the local bedrock of Pragian sandstone with conglomerate and mudstone has provided generations with suitable stone for building and carving. The monument rests on the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group formations that underlie this part of Angus, geology that has shaped settlement and construction in the area since antiquity.
The cross slab displays the characteristic form of Pictish carved stones from the early medieval period. The front face bears the incised design of a cross, carved into the durable local sandstone in the style typical of these monuments. Such slabs served both spiritual and commemorative purposes within early Christian communities across Pictland, marking significant graves or serving as focal points for worship and community gathering.
The monument is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland under the scheduled monument reference SM90003, recognising its importance as evidence of early medieval religious practice and artistic achievement in Angus. The stone remains in situ within its original context, allowing visitors to experience the monument as it has stood for over a thousand years, rooted in the same local geology that shaped the landscape around it.
Aberlemno churchyard, cross slab is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90003. View the official record →
Aberlemno churchyard cross slab is a carved stone monument of Pictish origin located in Angus, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90003.
Aberlemno churchyard, cross slab is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90003.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Westerton,standing stone 120m W of (3.7 km), Balgavies Castle (4.3 km), Rob's Reed, homestead 485m ESE of Home Farm (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Aberlemno churchyard, cross slab's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Aberlemno churchyard, cross slab stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.