Altyre 2020 Walks 29/08 10.4 miler with Jet

Clouds of pheasants surrounded these until we arrived down the path. Jet obediently stayed at heel, showing keen interest in them but seemed to know that chasing them would be a big no-no!

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

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