Monument record MAB5047 - ST AETHAN'S CHAPEL, BURGHEAD

Graveyard, site of a chapel, Pictish symbol stones and a carved stone.

Graveyard, site of a chapel, Pictish symbol stones and a carved stone. The chapel, located within the area of the Pictish Fort (NJ16NW0001) is said to have been visible until the 18th century, and is of an early medieval origin. Cordiner (1780) stated that ‘one place in the fort is marked as a burying ground, by many moss-grown gravestones’ – although little sculpture was evident on these it was noted that ‘on one there is a cross undefaced, and in good relief; on the others there seemed to be some vestiges of figures and animals’. The foundations of the chapel were found in in the graveyard in 1840 during grave digging although nothing was then known about it. Two Pictish carved stones have been found in the churchyard. A Class II stone slab (ECMS 7 in Allen and Anderson’s numbering scheme) of probable 8th century date showing a hunting scene was found coping the graveyard wall. Macdonald (1862) records that it was built into the wall of the Chapel-yard’ having been found some 20 years previously near the spot and a few feet beneath the surface. It represents the right-hand portion of a panel with a recessed flange along the right-hand edge which is designed to fit into a groove in a corner post suggesting that it was part of a composite stone shrine. Carved in relief, within a plain roll moulding is a panel of four animals, comprising a stag with antlers being attacked by two large hounds whilst a fourth animal stands by watchfully. It was removed from the wall in 1891 and placed in the harbourmasters office: now in the Burghead Visitor Centre. A stone fragment (ECMS 11) of 8th or 9th century date and suggested to be part of a shrine was found in the graveyard some time before 1867 and placed within the enclosure around the well, later removed to Burghead Library (now in Burghead Visitor Centre). It is a roughly dressed rectangular stone (indicating that it would in part be below ground level) with carved relief ornament on one face and one side, which would have been the external faces of this corner block . The face is carved with a rectangular panel of interlaced knots with a plain flatband border, and there are traces above the interlace of a key pattern. The side bears the remains of a narrow panel of interlace. The other face and side are carved with vertical grooves to take the side panels of the shrine. See also NJ16NW0005 for other early medieval carved stones from Burghead. On the east wall of the cemetery, between Nos 12 and 18 Church Street, lies the 'Cradle Stone'. The stone is built into the wall, and is 90cm x 50cm, with a cup-like hollow 10cm wide and 5.7cm deep. Repeated striking of the hollow by children over the years has made it deeper. When struck the rock produces sounds as if they come from a deep underground cavern. It is said that as far back as anyone can remember, the children of Burghead have been led to believe that all babies come from below this stone. The enclosing roughly coped rubble walls have a pedestrian entrance to Grant Street, flanked by simple square rubble piers. Re-set in the West wall, there is a decorative carved and monogrammed dormer, dated 1668 and with a monogram 'TCMS'. There are various 18th century and subsequent tombstones. Tombstones and monumental inscriptions within the churchyard have been recorded by the Moray Burial Ground Research Group.

Period Notes
Medieval chapel foundations were found in 1840 during grave digging. Re-set dormer dated 1668. Listed designation given on 24/03/1988.

CORDINER, C, 1780, ANTIQU & SCENERY, N SCOTLAND, 58-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB238.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No9(1870) 22 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MITCHELL, A, 1874, VACATION NOTES IN CROMAR, BURGHEAD, AND STRATHSPEY. PSAS 10 (1872-4) 603-90, PSAS 10, 645-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1196.

YOUNG, HW, 1891, PSAS 25(1890-1) 425-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2134.

ALLEN, JR, 1903, EARLY CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS OF SCOTLAND 3, 321 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3.

MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2005, THE FORGOTTEN TOMBSTONES OF MORAY: VOLUME 3 BELLIE OLD CHURCHYARD, KINNEDDAR CHURCHYARD, BURGHEAD OLD CHURCHYARD (Bibliographic reference). SAB7664.

MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2015, MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS INCLUDING BURIED TOMBSTONES: BURGHEAD OLD CHURCHYARD AND BURGHEAD WAR MEMORIAL (Bibliographic reference). SAB7636.

Oct 4 2003 , AAS-GR-03-10-001 - 004, AAS-GR-03-10-001 - 004 (Ground Photograph). SAB35683.

Record last edited

Apr 6 2026 3:38PM