Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM819_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600003671)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a Pictish Class III sculptured cross-slab, dating probably from the 8th or 9th century AD on art historical grounds. It was first scheduled in 1970, and is being rescheduled to clarify the extent of the scheduled area.

The monument now stands in Victoria Gardens, Crail, at a height of around 40 m above sea level. It was moved from its original position near Sauchope in 1851, and moved again in 1929 to its current location. It is a roughly oblong block of sandstone which stands 1.4m high and is 0.6m wide. The stone is carved on both faces. On the S face the ornament comprises a hunting scene with two (or possibly three) figures on horseback and at least one dog. A haloed cross with two dogs beneath it has been carved on the N face.

The area to be scheduled is circular in plan, with a diameter of 6m centred on the cross-slab, as shown in the accompanying map. The scheduling specifically excludes the above-ground remains of the 1929 interpretation plaque and its concrete mount, to allow for their maintenance.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

The monument's cultural significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics

The stone is now very weathered and it is difficult to see the detail of the carvings in ordinary light conditions. However, researchers photographing the cross-slab in more conducive lighting conditions have verified the survival of Pictish carvings on both faces of the stone, and confirmed the detail of the ornament as described above. Carved stones such as this are important evidence for the early church in Scotland because we have little archaeological evidence for contemporary sites, relatively few examples of Pictish liturgical metalwork and an absence of contemporary documentary evidence. Early historic carved stones such as this probably provided focal points for worship, but were also a public statement about the beliefs of the community and the allegiances of their patrons. The carvings themselves have the potential to enhance our knowledge and understanding of Pictish society, the development of Insular art in Britain and Ireland, and the technical aspects of stone-carving in the early historic period.

Contextual characteristics

The stone depicts a scene of hunting on horseback with dogs, probably deer hunting. It is reminiscent of the scene carved on a cross-slab at Aberlemno and hunting scenes depicted in the Lindisfarne Gospels. Hunting was a practice associated with the Pictish elite and took place during tours of landholdings by royalty. These tours were borne of economic necessity, but also served to reinforce power relations among kings, queens, courts and clients. Division of spoils and communal feasting took place after these hunts, activities that reinforced relationships of dependency. The monument retains the potential to inform our understanding of these aspects of Pictish society. As with many cross-slabs, the Standing Stone of Sauchope (as this stone is known) was found near the site of a medieval parish church. Crail Parish Church contains masonry that can be dated to the 12th century and also contains Pictish stones which were found nearby. It seems likely, therefore, that Crail was a centre of Christian worship from the 8th or 9th century, and possibly earlier, as was nearby St Andrews. The Sauchope Stone retains the potential to inform our understanding of this very important area in the early Christian period.

The stone belongs to class of monument that is rare both regionally and nationally and is on the periphery of the distribution of such carved stones. Comparing and contrasting the geographical location and artistic detail of this monument to those of other early medieval carved stones in Scotland provides information about the spread of Christianity into Pictland, the prevailing cultural influences of the time, and the relationship of early church sites to the subsequent establishment of the parish system.

Associative characteristics

The Standing Stone of Sauchope clearly served as a focal point of the locality long after it was created and has been moved twice to ensure its survival. The stone originally stood on a small mound near the farm of Sauchope, just off the road leading from Crail to Fife Ness, but was moved to a nearby site in 1851 when the marches between two estates were straightened. It is possible that the 19th-century estate boundaries were relics of much earlier boundaries and that the stone marked an early boundary. The stone was moved to its present location in Victoria Gardens, a public park in Crail, in 1929, indicating that it continued to be valued by the local community. There is a tradition that Sir William Hope of Balcomie, author of many books on fencing, defeated a foreign knight at the stone in the early 18th century. A fictionalised account of this event was published in The International Magazine in 1852.

National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it is a rare, elaborately carved Pictish cross-slab, and has the potential to contribute to our understanding of Pictish art and monumental sculpture, the hunting practices of the elite, the introduction and development of Christianity in Scotland and cultural contacts in the early historic period. The loss of the monument would affect our ability to understand Pictish society, which inhabited much of Scotland north of the Forth between the 4th and 9th centuries AD, particularly as the historical record covering this region in this period is extremely limited.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.