Maiden Stone

Coordinates: 57°18′43″N 2°29′35″W / 57.312°N 2.493°W / 57.312; -2.493

East face of Maiden Stone

The Maiden Stone, also known as the Drumdurno Stone after the nearby farm, is a Pictish standing stone near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, probably dating to the 9th century AD.

Name

The name is derived from local legend, incorporating the most obvious mark of wear and tear on the stone: a triangular notch toward the top of the monument.

The legend states that the daughter of the Laird of Balquhain made a bet with a stranger that she could bake a bannock faster than he could build a road to the top of Bennachie. The prize would be the maiden's hand. However, the stranger was the Devil and finished the road and claimed the forfeit. The maiden ran from the Devil and prayed to be saved. The legend finishes by saying that God turned her to stone, but the notch is where the Devil grasped her shoulder as she ran.

Based on the mixture of Pictish and Christian symbols on the stone it is most likely that the stone marks a preaching site during missionary trips to the Picts.

Description

19th century drawing

West face

The stone is red granite, standing 3.01m high (one of the tallest of all Pictish monuments, even though several centimetres have been lost at the top owing to weathering). It is a Class II Pictish monument (combining Christian, and pre-Christian Pictish, motifs), dating from the late 8th or early 9th century AD.

The west side has a ringed cross below a human figure between two "fish-monsters". Below the cross there is a square panel with a disc containing a Celtic spiral motif at its centre, surrounded by a key-patterned ring, with knotwork patterns infilling the corners. On the reverse, there are four panels enclosing: a large centaur below three very weathered figures (possibly two smaller wrestling centaurs and a dog); a "notched rectangle and Z-rod" symbol; a Pictish Beast symbol, a mirror and a comb. There is a knotwork pattern on the narrow north edge and a keywork pattern on the south edge. A portion of the north edge is missing and the patterns are heavily eroded, particularly on the western face.

The human figure and "fish-monsters" may represent the Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, with the whale doubled to make the design symmetrical.

The site is listed and under the care of Historic Environment Scotland (open at all times).

External links

Maiden Stone – site information from Historic Scotland
Information About the Stone
Aberdeenshire Council Information
The Maiden Stone: leaflet from Aberdeenshire Council

Pictish sculptured stones

Ross	Ardjachie Stone Dingwall Stone Edderton Cross Slab Edderton Standing Stone Gairloch Stone Hilton of Cadboll Stone Nigg Stone Poolewe Stone Portmahomack sculpture fragments Rosemarkie Stone Rosemarkie sculpture fragments Rosskeen Stone Shandwick Stone Strathpeffer Stone

Badenoch and Strathspey	Advie Stone Ballintomb Stone Congash Stones Dunachton Stone Findlarig Stone Grantown Stone Inverallan Stone Lynchurn Stone

Moray	Dandaleith stone Rodney's Stone Sueno's Stone

Inverness	Balbair Stones Culaird Stone Dores Stone Drumbuie Stone Garbeg Stone Invereen Stone Kingsmills Stone Knocknagael Stone Lochardill Stone Torgorm Stone

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire	Ardlair Stone Aquhollie Stone Brandsbutt Stone Broomend of Crichie stone Cairnton stone Dyce stones Fordoun Stone Fyvie Stones Kintore stones Logie Elphinstone Stones Maiden Stone Migvie Stone Monymusk Stone Nether Corskie Stone Newbigging, Leslie Stone Newton House Stones Picardy Stone Rhynie Stones Tillytarmont Stones

Angus	Aberlemno Sculptured Stones Balluderon Stone Camus Cross Drosten Stone Dunnichen Stone Eassie Stone Glamis Manse Stone Hunter's Hill Stone Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones Monifieth Sculptured Stones St Orland's Stone St Vigeans Sculptured Stones Strathmartine Castle Stone Woodwrae Stone

Perth and Kinross	Bullion Stone Dupplin Cross Meigle standing stones

Fife	Abdie stone

Settlements and places of interest in Garioch, Aberdeenshire

Primary settlements	Blackburn Insch Inverurie Kemnay Kintore Newmachar Westhill

Other settlements	Auchleven Blairdaff Colpy Daviot Dunecht Echt Elrick Garlogie Hatton of Fintray Kinmuck Old Rayne Oyne Pitcaple Sauchen Skene

Places of interest	Bennachie Chapel of Garioch Castle Fraser Dunnideer Maiden Stone

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Maiden Stone

Name

Description

See also

External links