INSANE Pictish 300 AD Sculpted Stone . . !!

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:10]All right, folks. Welcome to this exciting video where you once again join me in the beautiful landscape of Scotland. And for today's adventure, we actually start this one on the bridge over the Den of Airlie in the wildlands of Scotland here. And a few times in previous videos, I've actually been doing exploring this area and such like. But today, we're hopefully going to document something that we've never seen before on the channel. But it's one of these things I'm not even sure if it's going to be possible yet. I'm away to try and attempt to document. It's similarly an ancient standing stone. On the old Victorian map, actually says it's a sculptured standing stone.

[00:00:51]So, it'll be cool to see what is actually sculptured about it and like if it's different to any of the other cool standing stones.

[00:00:58]But also, there's an old burial mound down here. I'll see if we can get a good view of it looking down towards it. I'm not sure if it's on somebody's garden or whatever. When I drove around here, it looked like there might have been a house over behind it.

[00:01:12]But apparently, there was actually old artifacts and stuff found down near that burial mound.

[00:01:19]And then the standing stone is just like one or two fields over. So, it's interesting to think of all that ancient mysterious history in these lands that dates back to ancient times like before history was even written down.

[00:01:33]Nobody's even sure like who the burial mounds were for or anything like that.

[00:01:37]It's just kind of randomly on the land.

[00:01:41]So, from what I can see at this field gate, it looks like it should actually be located over in that brown field that we can see. The crazy thing is, folks, look at the color the color of the sky.

[00:01:51]I was actually going to go on a different adventure somewhere else today. But when I saw the weather up that direction stuff, I had to basically turn around and come back down. And this was actually a secondary option today for an adventure.

[00:02:06]But, the interesting prehistoric burial mound is actually down where you can see a kind of square in the corner of that field with the two tall trees.

[00:02:15]That's actually where there is a burial mound, but obviously because of these crops and stuff, and it's pretty overgrown all around here. I'm just going to save that for another day. Today's adventure is all about this old standing stone.

[00:02:30]Sometimes being a YouTuber in Scotland is difficult when you're trying to dodge mad weather.

[00:02:35]You can see there it's amazing weather at this side, and then over at this side it's just the craziest gray sky.

[00:02:42]I'm hoping I can get down the side of this field and actually have a look at this old sculptured stone. I'm just hoping that the the rain doesn't come on too heavy right here. I should have put on the waterproofs, and then we would have been okay.

[00:02:56]Yeah, I'm wondering if we'll be able to see the stone as I walk along this road towards it.

[00:03:03]I've got my first sight of the ancient stone, folks. I can actually see it down there.

[00:03:07]This is so exciting. Also, the rain's starting to come on heavier.

[00:03:15]So, check it out, folks. I'm actually making my way down the boundary of this field. I think this field's actually been planted with carrots.

[00:03:23]I'm pretty sure that's what I'm seeing here.

[00:03:25]I think if it's tatties, you actually see the individual beds, whereas the carrots is often a wide bed.

[00:03:31]Yes, folks, check this out. We've almost made it down as far as the ancient historical wonder. And just think this is a sculpted standing stone right here.

[00:03:41]And you can actually see it in the middle of the field from here. It's quite a cool sight as we walk into it.

[00:03:47]Obviously, to the farmer and the landowners, I come with the greatest respect. I never go trampling the crops and stuff like that.

[00:03:54]I've just pushed on down the side of this field here.

[00:03:59]Yeah, so I was very careful to come up across that, folks, without damaging it.

[00:04:04]And look, we've made it to the edge of this ancient historical wonder right here, folks.

[00:04:09]And it's such a cool place to make it to on today's video. Oh, wow. Yes, look at this.

[00:04:15]Here is the sculpted side, folks. Look at the color of that sky behind here.

[00:04:20]Wow, we'll have a close look at that.

[00:04:21]Get an angle of that, folks.

[00:04:23]That incredible ancient history with that scary-looking sky right behind it.

[00:04:30]Wow, this will be some proper old Pictish stone. Some of these old Pictish symbols.

[00:04:36]And look, this is like a horseshoe or something.

[00:04:39]Or like an arch. But it's like it's got some detail here.

[00:04:44]Wow, this is amazing, folks. On the Victorian map is where I saw that it said this was a sculpted standing stone.

[00:04:51]And it just makes you think, was this a standing stone here? And then at the time of the Picts, did they come along and carve it? Or was it actually something they did? They may have actually laid the stone in the ground here.

[00:05:04]But there is carved standing stones in Scotland and ones which are not carved.

[00:05:09]And I think it's something that was done for a lot of years for certain things.

[00:05:14]It's just amazing to see this, the shape of the carvings, the detail of the carvings, and just think how many years it stood on the land.

[00:05:22]Look at that swirly pattern here.

[00:05:25]Some of these old Pictish stones and stuff as well, they're off the mainstream scene. And they're quite far from main roads and difficult to get to. And to come here and throw on video on the channel for the first time, this is special. And it's cooler than I could have even of of imagined.

[00:05:42]I can't speak now, folks.

[00:05:44]But yeah, it's so cool. I'm just so glad that I persevered and came over here.

[00:05:49]And then there's some other cool places in this area like Inverquiech. Medieval castles probably like a mile along there and we've documented that on the channel before.

[00:05:58]And then just to think there's like an old burial mound or whatever at the far side over by the trees, the area we came in.

[00:06:06]And then just to see this, an ancient standing stone.

[00:06:10]See there's one of those little black flies. See that thing sitting there, folks?

[00:06:15]At this time of year if it's not windy, you get absolute millions of those things.

[00:06:20]But wow, yeah, I'm so glad that I came over here. Let's just take it in once again, folks.

[00:06:25]Get a proper look at it here on the channel.

[00:06:28]I do apologize for wind in today's audio, but to come and see a thing like this, I'm obviously out all conditions, all weathers.

[00:06:36]But it's cool to have these short videos documenting things like this.

[00:06:40]Look, it's got an interesting hole there and then a groove.

[00:06:44]And then see on a day like this, I often think about lightning and stuff. Cuz you think, "Oh, the sky doesn't look too bad."

[00:06:50]But then look how dark and scary it is at this side, folks.

[00:06:54]What an absolute madness coming out here.

[00:06:58]And it's another location ticked off the list, folks. These carvings in that stone, it tells a story of history dating back probably like 700 BC and before that. So that's just a crazy feat of history that we're witnessing today. The fact it's stood here on the land for so long.

[00:07:19]And it's cool on the channel we can actually tell that story of the history as well.

[00:07:25]So when we were walking down to that stone, I had no idea that it was going to be so cool. And you can see it's like a chunk of sandstone, like a sliver in the ground here and it makes you think, "What was going on in these lands at that time?"

[00:07:38]Maybe more of a community or maybe even a wee settlement or a village around here, wooden houses.

[00:07:43]You wouldn't even know if they were fully gone now.

[00:07:46]Rotted away. That was maybe the the village square where they all used to go and hang out.

[00:07:52]But also some of those symbols will have meanings. Maybe to tell a story of that era or maybe even a battle.

[00:08:00]It could even be a ancient Pictish battle that took place in this area that that stone marks the victory.

[00:08:08]Or maybe marks the loss.

[00:08:12]Could be a memorial stone for all we know.

[00:08:15]And it's cool just to have all those theories.

[00:08:17]Look at this. It's so windy.

[00:08:20]But check out this madness, folks.

[00:08:24]So that farm at the top of the hill seems to be called Brewston. So I'm going to call this the Brewston Pictish stone right here.

[00:08:32]And it's cool to see it standing there.

[00:08:34]Sometimes with those Pictish stones they actually get dug up and found under the ground. So it's cool to see that one still on the and still bearing its original carvings.

[00:08:45]Mission successful, folks. Another piece of history documented in these lands.

[00:08:50]And I think today it's just a a matter of dodging storms to record the coolest things.

[00:08:55]The first place I was going to go at was like quite a long walk from where I was going to park. And that's where I thought when there's storms like that going over it's no worth the risk. Cuz you end up soaked or even struck with lightning or something.

[00:09:08]But that was a cool one, quite near the road. And amazing detail on the carving.

[00:09:13]A traditional sculpted stone.

[00:09:16]Nowadays known as like a Pictish stone.

[00:09:19]And it's just crazy to think how the culture of the land has changed since the time a stone like that was carved. Think who was carving it with a chisel.

[00:09:27]What were they wearing?

[00:09:29]Where were they sitting when they carved it? I wonder if it was carved and then brought there.

[00:09:33]Or I wonder if it was there first and then carved. Eh, who would holes. It's just so good to theorize and to think of it.

[00:09:41]I wonder how far people walked from all around originally to see it as well.

[00:09:47]So, this is a cool point on the road because you can actually see the standing stone over that way. But, then over here is that ancient probably from around the same time period or maybe even older. That burial mound over there is probably probably like maybe 6 ft higher than the surrounding land.

[00:10:03]But, there's no point in punching down that today because it's just covered in like trees and bushes and there would be no way of actually seeing the detail.

[00:10:10]Maybe one time in the winter we need to go along there.

[00:10:13]It looks like there's a house over behind it, but that's maybe at the far side of the river.

[00:10:18]What I've seen once again in today's video, I can see comparing the tower up on the hill behind and I often mention that on a video cuz that gives you an idea of where we are in the land.

[00:10:29]Cuz often in the previous videos, it just happens to be recently we've seen comparing the tower in the distance as we explore.

[00:10:36]But, that's cuz we're at the edge of like the Strathmore Valley today and it's amazing. We were basically today in the heart of Pictland in Angus which mean was one of the I can't even speak once again on this video, folks.

[00:10:49]But, yeah, Angus was one of the main Pictish areas in Scotland and that's why there's so many of those stones and details of history from that time period.

[00:10:59]I think for a certain time an area like this was actually called Pictland.

[00:11:04]And that is just a crazy thought.

[00:11:07]It's amazing how a country or even areas of a country can change their name over the course of many, many years.

[00:11:15]Scotland's had so many different names over the years and it's been all different shapes as well with certain sections of it being run by different people even at the time of the Vikings and such like.

[00:11:27]But, yeah, that's gray sky behind me, folks. It's all the way around and it's so scary over that way. I always say it's scary, but that's what I'm talking about.

[00:11:35]Lightning and things like that. If you're out on foot, you really have to be aware of how savage how savage nature can be.

[00:11:44]Sometimes it's like Victorian farms, other times prehistoric carved stones.

[00:11:50]And it's amazing in Scotland that variation of things. I like castles and all that sort of stuff as well, but even these carved picture stones tell an amazing piece of history.

[00:12:01]And a lot of the time the stone like artifacts are the only thing left.

[00:12:06]Anything that's been wooden or whatever, that all just like rots away super quick.

[00:12:11]And that's why it's things like that that you see with like nothing else around it, just a carved stone.

[00:12:18]Right folks, that's me just about back to my car. So, I'm going to end this prehistoric adventure here. Thanks very much for watching and I'll be back very soon for the next one, whatever I end up going.

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