© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised Slab is a pair of Pictish carved stones located in Morayshire, Scotland. The symbol stone and the cross-incised slab together represent significant evidence of early Christian and Pictish settlement in this region during the medieval period. These monuments are protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2456, recognising their archaeological and cultural importance.
The stones lie upon bedrock of the Appin Group, ancient rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic era, comprising graphitic and calcareous pelites interspersed with calcsilicate-rock and psammite. This geological foundation has supported human activity in the locality for millennia. The churchyard setting reflects the long continuity of sacred use at this site, from its origins in the Pictish period through the establishment of Christian worship.
Symbol stones and cross-incised slabs represent distinct phases in Pictish and early Christian art. The symbol stone carries characteristic Pictish designs, whilst the cross-incised slab demonstrates the increasing Christian influence in the region. Together, these monuments at Inverallan document the transition from pagan Pictish culture to the Christian faith that would come to dominate Scotland, making this churchyard a focal point for understanding religious and cultural change in Morayshire's early history.
Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised Slab is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2456. View the official record →
Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised Slab is a pair of Pictish carved stones located in Morayshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2456.
Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised 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 SM2456.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Congash, chapel, burial ground and symbol stones, 500m SE of (3.1 km), Finlarig, chapel and enclosure 300m W of (3.6 km), Upper Port, standing stones W of (4.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised 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.
Inverallan Churchyard, Symbol Stone and Cross-Incised Slab stands on Appin Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is graphitic pelite, calcareous pelite, calcsilicate-rock and psammite.