Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum

The Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum stands in the village of Meigle in Perth and Kinross, housed in the former parish school built in the 19th century. It holds 27 carved Pictish stones found nearby, mostly in the churchyard or reused in old church walls. The stones date from the 8th to 10th centuries and were rescued after a church fire in 1869 by William Galloway. They include Christian monuments to Pictish warriors, showing figures with weapons or hunting scenes. Early records mention Thana, son of Dudabrach, a scribe at Meigle in the 9th century during King Pherath’s reign. The museum’s building was bought by local laird Sir George Kinloch in the late 19th century to protect the stones. It later passed to state ownership, was renovated after the Second World War, and reopened in 1949. About a third of the stones are Class II, carved in relief with Christian crosses, while others show Pictish symbols. The stones were made from local old red sandstone, soft enough for detailed carving but vulnerable to erosion. Some were once part of larger monuments, and fragments may still lie buried in the churchyard. Inside, visitors see stones like Meigle 1, a cross-slab with Greek-style crosses, interlace patterns, and mythical beasts, possibly the oldest in the collection. Meigle 2 stands nearly 2.5 metres tall, featuring a cross with unique bosses and a scene of Daniel in the lions’ den, linked to local folklore about Queen Guinevere. Meigle 3 shows a mounted warrior, while Meigle 4 has fragmented carvings of animals and a struggling figure. Each stone tells part of the Pictish story, arranged in the former schoolhouse where they are preserved for study and viewing.