The Ogham Stone cross slab at Altyre.

Altyre, Moray, ogham-inscribed cross-slab

Measurements: H 3.30m above ground, W 0.86m, D 0.18m

Stone type: grey sandstone

Place of discovery: NJ c 141 641

Present location: within an enclosure in a field to the west of the site of the old kirk of Altyre at NJ 0391 5537.

Evidence for discovery: recorded as standing on rising ground in a field belonging to Longhillock Farm and moved around 1800 to a field north of Altyre House.

Present condition: severely weathered and there is considerable edge damage.

Description

A very tall and slender slab, this formerly bore a plain cross with a small head and very long shaft carved in relief on both broad faces, but the cross-head on face C has eroded away, leaving only the shaft. At the base of the shaft are traces of a stepped base.

Face A is bordered by an incised line to give the impression of a moulding, but the weathering of face C makes it impossible to tell whether this side also had a border. The cross on face A has stepped armpits, hammer-head side-arms and a square or rectangular upper arm, which survives only partially. The shaft is bordered by an incised line. Running up face D is a long ogham inscription with the letters arranged on an incised stem-line, but its weathered state makes interpretation difficult, indeed even its language, whether Irish or Pictish, is uncertain.

Date: late eighth or ninth century