Guides to the Pictish stones are obviously like buses, none for ages then two come along at once. Elizabeth Sutherland’s book starts with a short introduction followed by brief descriptions of the different classes of stone and the various symbols. The main body of the book consists of thirteen geographical lists of stones in particular areas and ends with a short conclusion and list of recommended further reading. There is no index, a rather remarkable omission from a book of this type. The book is illustrated with nineteen black and white photographs of stones by Tom E. Gray. These are well reproduced and as well as many old favourites include a few which have rarely, if ever, been published before such as the stone from Tote, Skye.

The introduction, at only four pages long is quite superficial and riddled with errors. For example, the Picts were a ‘united nation’ that was defeated by Kenneth Mac Alpin, probably got their name from Roman soldiers, were ‘principally cowboys’ and ‘spoke a form of Gaelic, which was not the same as Irish Gaelic, more akin to Welsh’. It is difficult to know what to make of this mish-mash which contains obvious errors, views that have been discredited for over twenty years and some total gibberish concerning the Pictish language. The meanings given for some of the symbols are highly questionable.

The main body of the book, by which it should really be judged, is the thirteen geographical lists. These all start with a map – unfortunately these are largely blank showing only the stones themselves and a few towns but totally omitting such minor features as roads which would have served to make them useful. A clue regarding the reliability of the guide is given by the first entry which states that the National Museums of Scotland are in Chamber Street (sic). There are numerous minor errors, suggesting that the book was not checked thoroughly enough prior to publication. For a guidebook in particular it is not acceptable that so many stones are either incorrectly described or placed in the wrong location. Among the more serious errors are:

Incorrectly described:

Aberlemno 3 - described as having ‘a hunting scene with four mounted men, three of them huntsmen with long horns’. As the photograph in the book itself shows, it is not the mounted figures who have the horns but two figures on foot.

Ackergill 1 - the ogham inscription reads NEHTERI not NEHTETRE. Balluderon [not ‘Balludernon’] — is carved on one side only, not both sides as described here.

Bourtie - the double-disc originally had a Z-rod, although this is no longer visible.

Fowlis Wester - the top of the back has a double-disc with z-rod, and a possible double disc, not just a double-disc and the ‘beast’ is probably a hound lacking its head.

Kingoldrum - there is a single enthroned figure at the top of the stone, not two.

Knockando 1 - both crescents have Z-rods.

Moniack/Balblair - does not have any symbols so is not ‘C.I or II’.

Monifieth 2 - the right lower symbol is a crescent and V-rod, not a double- disc and Z-rod.

Newton House - the ogham inscription reads IDDARQNNN not EDDARRNONN.

Raasay - as the photograph in the book shows there is also a tuning fork symbol.

Rhynie 2 - double-disc and z-rod and an unidentifiable symbol, not a double- disc and z-rod.

Rothiebrisbane - also has a horseshoe symbol.

Scoonie - found in the churchyard, not in the church.

Sands of Evie - mirror on its own, does not have a triple-disc symbol.

St Vigeans 5 - the ‘small portion of a decorated rectangular symbol’ is probably the base of a cross.

Wrong Location:

Arndilly - the stone is not built into a wall close to the house, it is built into the side wall of Arndilly House.

Broch of Oxtro - HY254268 is the location of Oxtro broch, not Boardhouse (HY249275).

Drainie - this stone used to be in the Moray Society Museum but now appears lost.

Dunnichen replica - this stands beside the church at NO509488, not NO516496 which is where the stone was originally found on Dunnichen Hill.

Glamis 4 - is in the church at Glamis, not the Meffan Institute.

Huntly 2 - Leys of Drummuies not Drummies.

Kinblethmont House - NO641472 not NO638473.

Longforgan - in the back of the church.

Rhynie 8 - is now in a shelter beside the churchyard (NO500265), not in Grampian Regional Council HQ.

One praiseworthy point about this book is that it does not limit itself to stones alone but lists some ‘Pictish sites without stones’ at the end of each geographical section, such as Norrie’s Law and Clatchard Craig. This is rather spoiled, however, by the fact that the descriptions are generally too superficial to be interesting. Clatchard Craig for instance is an “ inland fortress destroyed this century by quarrying after detailed excavation’, surely a rather more informative entry would have been possible. More worrying, Burghead is listed as a site without stones. The conclusion is rather short and inconclusive while the list of suggested further reading has some notable ommissions such as Sally Foster’s Picts, Scots and Gaels and A Pictish Panorama.

A guide book which does not have decent quality maps, lacks an index, does not give full details about access to many of the stones and whose descriptions of the stones' physical appearance and location are not reliable is, in my opinion, unacceptable. Although more expensive, Alastair Mack’s Field Guide to the Pictish Symbols is more detailed and reliable, has more useful maps and is indexed.

Craig Cessford.