Clach Biorach facts for kids

Clach Biorach (The Pointed Stone), Edderton

Clach Chairidh, also known as Clach Biorach, is a special ancient stone found in a field near the village of Edderton in Easter Ross, Scotland. Its name comes from Scots Gaelic and means 'the Pointed Stone'. It's a type of stone called a Pictish stone, made by the Picts, an old group of people who lived in Scotland a long time ago.

This tall stone was first put up a very long time ago, between 4000 BC and 1500 BC. That's during the Stone Age and Bronze Age! Later, between 500 AD and 700 AD (during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages), the Picts carved special symbols onto its north side.

What Are the Symbols on Clach Chairidh?

The symbols carved into the stone are a salmon fish and a double-disc shape with a Z-rod. When people first wrote about this stone in 1780, there was also a circle below these symbols on the left side. This circle is not visible anymore, but it might have been part of a mirror symbol.

How Big is the Stone?

Clach Chairidh is made of sandstone. It stands about 3.13 meters (or about 10 feet) tall. At its base, it is about 1.07 meters (around 3.5 feet) wide and 0.46 meters (about 1.5 feet) deep. It's a really impressive piece of history!

Gallery

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  A distance photograph of Clach Biorach taken in July 2006.

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  The Pictish engravings in detail.