Loch Kinord 9th Century Cross Slab

Canmore ID 33981 NO 4400 9978 Loch Kinord, Dinnet, Deeside, Scotland. Class III Pictish Stone. In the mid nineteenth century this pink granite stone, H 1.91m, W 0.94m, D 0.31m, stood ‘on an eminence’ on the north bank of Loch Kinord, but later that century it was taken to the grounds of Aboyne Castle and set up in a ‘small oak plantation’ (NO 5250 9898). In 1959 it was returned to approximately its original site beside Loch Kinord. Roughly kite-shaped, this eigth or ninth century slab is carved in relief on one broad face with an elaborate ringed cross, which occupies most of the available space. The cross is outlined by a roll moulding, which extends into a spiral at each corner of the arm terminals and into a semi-spiral at the base of the shaft. The circular arm-pits are closed by arcs of a ring. The entire cross is filled with continuous interlace, which in the side arms conveys an impression of triquetra knots and in the upper arm forms four ring knots.