NB:- None of these maps are intended
to be accurate to any great degree. They are intended only to
give the relative distribution of features such as the
stones and 'Pit'-names. Apart from anything else, each dot is the
equivalent of 1 mile orabout 1.5kms on this scale, and the
average stone is about three feet (roughly 1 metre) across.
Map 3, for instance, is merely a guide to the distribution of
Class I and Class II Symbol Stones. (Class III Stones are ignored
for the time being, as there is some debate about whether they
can be regarded as true Pictish stones.)
For a more accurate idea of where these stones are located, it is
best to get hold of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, for general
use. They are a mine of information, and an average reading such
as NN 946 565 will take you to within 100 metres of the
Dunfallandy Stone, well within signpost range.
There is also a range of 1:25 000 Maps which cover less ground
area per sheet, but in greater detail.
Another invaluable aid to finding the stones is the "Field
Guide to the Pictish Symbol Stones" by Alastair Mack,
published by Pinkfoot Press. I'll briefly paraphrase one of his
"homing-in" advices - 'Dyce...about six miles north-west
of Aberdeen.... Not far past the sign to Dyce Station are traffic
lights where Pitmedden Road, signed to Industrial Estate and
Kinaldie, runs west.....over a new railway bridge. Turn right at
first side road after bridge... follow the signs to arrive at
Dyce Old Kirk... stones built inside kirk doorway....in the east
gable...." Given that a lot of these little side-roads are
unmarked, or look like farm entrances, it is handy to have
guidance from somebody that has already done all the frustrating
stuff of locating these stones already. [ For the record, I don't
know the man, never met him, wouldn't recognize him if I fell
down on him in a souterrain, but I do know a good tool
when I see one.]
A brief word on what the maps I have provided are about.
Map 1 - A diagram intended to show the 100km
wide squares that the Ordnance Survey devised to catalogue sites
in Britain. For example the Dunfallandy Stone, by Pitlochry, is
noted as being somewhere close to NN 946 565, give or take a few
paces. This means that it is in box 'NN', 94.6 easterly ie, along
the way, and 56.5 northerly, ie up the way. If you look at the
map with Pitlochry on it, and go along the bottom line until you
come to box "94" then trace up the halfway line, the
stone is to the right of that line. To get the other half of the
equation, ie how far up the map it is, you go to the side
of the map nearest to the first reading, go up to the start of
box "56", and again look along the halfway line. Where
the two lines intersect is the location of the stone.
You can't go wrong if you remember to "go along before you
go up".
It's worth getting used to map-reading in this way, because it is
reasonably accurate, and most modern writers or reporters give OS
co-ordinates. I like them because they are more fixed than things
like "Forfarshire" , and "Grampian Region",
since these are political names, and politics is all-too-prone to
change things just for the sake of fashion, while the bureaucrats
are pretending to be doing something worthwhile. As you will also
discover, these are ways of marking points on the landscape,
regardless of what farmers, estate agents, landowners or
councillors decide to call it.
Map 1A - Shows the 40-kilometre (25 mile) squares of the 1: 50 000 Landranger OS Maps. You will see that they are more numerous than the squares of Map 1, and that they overlap occasionally. These maps overlay the larger grids, which will become apparent if you look at, say, Sheet 38 (Aberdeen etc), where the 100 km boxes NJ, NK,NO and NP met at the lower right-hand side. When giving a co-ordinate, it is vital to give the double-letter prefix, because that ties it exclusively to one particular 100-kilometre square area. Otherwise the numerical part of the co-ordinates repeat every 100 kilometres.
These co-ordinates hold good for the older One-Inch OS Maps,
but the maps themselves do not match up.
The old maps are One Inch to One Mile ( 1 : 63, 360 ) and the new
metric ones are 2cms to 1 km (1 : 50,000) or 1¼" to 1 mile.
I mention this for two reasons. One, OS co-ordinates in older
publications are still valid. Two, I wasn't aware of this
compatability myself, and it's handy to get old maps at car-boots
etc, if you want something to work on, and keep a good clean map.
It's amazing how quickly a few pencil marks obscure the fine
detail of a map !
Map 2. - Shows the geographical state of Scotland, and the limitations of the useful grazing and farming land. You will notice that the Standing Stones are conspicuous by their absence in the mountainous regions.
Map 3. - Shows the distribution of the afore-mentioned
stones. Class III have a distinctly different pattern of
dispersal. When time permits, I may include a map to demonstrate
this, and allow you to compare the differences.
It is interesting that the the stones are heavily concentrated in
the North-East Coastal Region, especially the area between Dundee
and Inverness. They account for about 50% of the known total.
The anonymous writer of the Grampian Regional Council pamphlet on
the Picardy Stone made the interesting observation that the
stones are generally found on good agricultural land, and this
true.
Note the lack of stones in the Highland area, apart from a few
isolated examples on the West Coast. There are also a handful on
the Hebrides.
Map 4. - Shows the places where the controversial "Pit"-names occur. There are many more claimed than I have been able to find to date, but unless there is a secret cache of these names in some odd part of Scotland, it is a fairly accurate idea of where they occur.
Map 5. - Brochs and Picts are sometimes linked, but this map tends to show that the "heartland" of Pictland has none. Perhaps they were so thoroughly robbed-out that they have all disappeared. The Orkneys and the Shetlands are choc-a-bloc with brochs, and they are well outside the main Pictish area.
Map 6. - This map brings together the Brochs and the Stones, at the same time as showing the (supposed) boundaries of the Pictish kingdoms as indicated by Ptolemy.
Map 7. - Shows the conventional distribution of the tribes of Scotland, on a modern style layout.
Map 7a. - A version of the famous Ptolemy map of 150 CE, which shows the tribes of Northern Britain as recorded by him.They are obviously Latin, or Latinized, names, but I haven't come across a reliable "translation" of them yet.
Map 8a. - Shows the old political divisions that existed up until 1974. These are the ones referred to in older publications. e.g. Morayshire, Aberdeenshire, etc.
Map 8b. - Shows the new political divisions introduced in 1974 as part of the re-organization into District Councils and Regional Councils. In more modern publications, you will find "Grampian" , "Tayside" etc.
Map 9. - The legendary? Sons of Cruithne were
supposed to have won kingdoms for themselves amongst the
inhabitants of Northern Britain. There is a consensus amongst
academics that there are districts that correspond to the names
of the "kingdoms" the Seven Sons of Cruithne from
Ireland were supposed to have created. Now, whether this means
the legend is true, or whether it is a backwards rationalization,
is impossible to say. This map is included as part of the debate
about who and when and where the Picts actually were. They didn't
just suddenly spring from the earth, fully-formed, one day.
A manuscript of 13th -15th Century relates the "Cruithne"
principalities to contemporary political divisions, and this map
is based on that information.
[ INCLUDES NOTES ABOUT THE PROVINCES]