Scheduled MonumentsScotlandSueno's Stone

Sueno's Stone

Scotland
HES SM90292
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Sueno's Stone is a carved Pictish monument standing near Forres in Morayshire, Scotland, dating to the ninth century. The stone is a tall slab of sandstone, approximately seven metres in height, and bears elaborate relief carvings on both faces depicting abstract geometric patterns and what are believed to be scenes of warfare or hunting. The precise meaning and historical context of the carvings remain subjects of scholarly debate, though the monument is recognised as one of the finest examples of Pictish sculptural achievement. The stone likely served a commemorative or territorial function within Pictish society and was subsequently protected within a modern glass shelter to ensure its preservation.

Sueno's Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90292. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Sueno's Stone?

Sueno's Stone is a carved Pictish monument standing near Forres in Morayshire, Scotland, dating to the ninth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90292.

Who is responsible for protecting Sueno's Stone?

Sueno's Stone 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 SM90292.

What other scheduled monuments are near Sueno's Stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kinloss Abbey (2.7 km), Greshop Farm,enclosures 300-400m SW of (2.9 km), Blervie Castle (3.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Sueno's Stone

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Sueno's Stone's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Sueno's Stone

Sueno's Stone stands on Upper Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.