The Pabbay Stone

On our May 21 cruise one of the destinations (if the weather cooperates) will be Pabbay of the Barra Isles. I've only been to Pabbay once, back in 2007, when Donald MacLeod took me there on his boat Boy James (see book 2, chapter 9).

My primary reason to go there was to see the Pictish Symbol Stone, with its crescent and V-rod, and lily symbol. There are only six known symbol stones found in the islands, and this one was discovered by Father Allan MacDonald in 1889.

The stone was a sad sight when I saw it in 2007; lying prone at the base of the burial mound, looking discarded, heavily eroded, and subject to more wear and tear by falling rain and the careless feet of visitors. Since 2007 it's been set upright for protection, and I look forward to seeing how they've done it. Below are a few photos from 2007 and, if you'd like to see the stone, consider joining our cruise on May 21. For more on the symbol stone of Pabbay see page 299 of this link.

The Pabbay Symbol Stone - lying prone at lower right of the burial mound (2007)

Pabbay Stone - the carvings are hardly visible (blame the elements - and the photographer)

Drawing of the Pabbay Stone by J. Romilly Allen from the 1890s