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A Pictish stone at Rhynie, its incised symbols faint on the pink granite.
Aberdeenshire

Rhynie Pictish Stones

Three carved Pictish stones by the old kirkyard at Rhynie, under Tap o' Noth.

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Welcome

Rhynie sits at the foot of Tap o' Noth, and in Pictish times it was a place of some importance: archaeologists from Aberdeen have found the traces of a high-status settlement in the fields here.

The carved stones found round the village are the most visible part of that story.

Three of them stand together in a shelter by the car park of the old kirkyard. The first, of pink granite, is incised with a beast, a comb and part of an arch, and was found nearby at Barflat. The other two came out of the foundations of the old church when it was pulled down in 1878: one of whinstone with a beast's head, a double disc and Z-rod, and a mirror and comb, and one of red granite with a double disc, a crescent and V-rod, and a mirror.

In the field a few hundred yards above stands the Craw Stane, still in its place, carved with a salmon and a strange beast. The kirkyard lane is not suitable for coaches.

A short drive awayDean's of HuntlyThe home of Dean's shortbread, with a bright bistro and a shop beside the bakery.14 min by roadSee itThe red front of the Dean's building on Depot Road in Huntly under its name.
Before you go

In a shelter by the car park of the old kirkyard.

The lane is not suitable for coaches.

Where
The old kirkyard, Rhynie.
Where it is

Rhynie, near Huntly.

Close byAround Rhynie.
  1. The roofless kirk of St Mary at Auchindoir among its gravestones and trees.St Mary's Church, AuchindoirA roofless church of the late 1200s near Rhynie, with a Norman doorway and a carved sacrament house.3 miles4 min by road
  2. Leith Hall, pale harled walls and turrets, above its gravel drive.Leith HallA quirky National Trust house of 1650, seen by guided tour, with a hidden-gem garden.5 miles9 min by road
  3. Kildrummy Castle's D-shaped ruin seen from the air above its ravine.Kildrummy Castle8 miles13 min by road
  4. The broken tower of Dunnideer Castle, a great window through it, on the grassy top of the hill.Dunnideer CastleA broken castle wall of around 1260 on a hilltop ringed by a fort of fused stone.9 miles20 min by road
  5. The Picardy Stone standing in its field near Insch, a rough whinstone slab.The Picardy StoneA Pictish symbol stone still standing where it was raised, over a grave, outside Insch.10 miles24 min by road
Directions
The red front of the Dean's building on Depot Road in Huntly under its name.CafeDean's of Huntly9.2 miles
A stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.AberdeenshireHome FarmSleeps 6 · 9.3 miles
A stone farmhouse with dormer windows stands beside a picnic bench within a wooden fence enclosure.AberdeenshireTornahatnachSleeps 5 · 9.3 miles
A stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.AberdeenshireGreenstyleSleeps 6 · 9.3 miles
A stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.AberdeenshireDalgrassickSleeps 4 · 9.3 miles
A stone farmhouse with a slated roof and green door sits behind a lawn, a timber garden room extending to one side.AberdeenshireChapeltonSleeps 6 · 9.3 miles
Ruined stone castle towers rise above autumn trees and a grassy pathAttractionsHuntly Castle9.9 miles
A herd of red deer on the grass at Tullynessle, a stag at the front and forest behind.ActivityTullynessle Deer Farm12 miles
Close-up of a bald eagle's white head and hooked yellow beakAttractionsHuntly Falconry Centre12 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near Rhynie Pictish Stones, and when each is next free.

A stone farmhouse with a slated roof and green door sits behind a lawn, a timber garden room extending to one side.Chapelton
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 8 miles from Rhynie Pictish Stones
Free 26–28 OctA stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.Home Farm
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 8 miles from Rhynie Pictish Stones
Free 28–30 OctA stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.Dalgrassick
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 8 miles from Rhynie Pictish Stones
Free 2–4 NovA stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.Greenstyle
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 8 miles from Rhynie Pictish Stones
Free 16–18 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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