Stones project sheds new light on Picts

A NEW project may rock modern ideas that the ancient Picts were “savages”, according to an Angus expert.

Apart from archaeological evidence left in iron age settlements between the Forth and the Highlands, little is known about the Picts.

The biggest clues to their activities, battles and relationship with early Christianity lie in their ornately carved stones.

Historic Environment Scotland has commissioned a series of full-colour versions of significant stones, including those of Angus and Highland Perthshire.

It is hoped the versions will mirror how the originals looked before 1,500 years of wind and rain brought them back to bare stone.

Historian Norman Atkinson was consulted on the project regarding the four Aberlemno stones.

“Some visitors will certainly find the coloured illustrations helpful, but to others they will be misleading, so it’s a real case of swings and roundabouts,” he said.

“I would hope that they will help more folk realise that the Picts were not uneducated savages, who did have a rich cultural background and appreciated fine things.

“It’s not a new theory, since I had casts of the Inchbrayock stone in Montrose Museum painted in the 1980s, and they’re still on display.”