The Orkney Image Library
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A Tom Kent picture, date unknown.
Where was this stone, what was it's story, and where is it now?
Picture added on 11 March 2005
Would Ola Gorie know as it looks a lot like the carvings she based her early jewellery on?
Added by marion mcleod on 11 March 2005
As wee correction, believe it or not this stone is still in Orkney and can be seen at Kirkwall Museum
Added by Colin Munro on 14 March 2005
The symbol stone is from the Knowe o' Burrian in Harray, the stone is a Class 1 Pictish carving (circa. 6th/7th centuries) and the original is housed in the National Museum in Edinburgh.
Added by Colin Munro on 14 March 2005
This stone has been on display in the Orkney Museum, Tankerness House, since it opened in 1968. It is in the Picts Gallery, along with other stones. It was found by children playing in the Knowe of Burrian; you can see pickaxe damage at the top where they hooked the point into it in order to pull it down, as it was placed into a passage, carving inwards. The museum is open Mon-Sat, admission is free. And yes, Ola did use it for inspiration for jewellery, as she often visited the museum.
Added by Tom Muir on 15 January 2012
I used to live very near the Know o' Burrian in Harray and was told by Maurice Johnston, Yeldavale that he had unearthed this stone and sold it to the 'museum folk' for which he got enough money to purchase his first very old second hand car.
Added by Frances on 24 November 2013
Having picked out the pictured Pictish stone with a pickaxe he picked up a pick-up? (More likely a saloon I suppose.)
Added by Ian Hourston on 04 December 2013
The stone was unearthed by my late mother Anna Hourie (neeJohnston) Tim, her brother, and I think Robert Flett.
As children they got bored and decided to explore this Knowe to find out what was in it!
The trio found beautiful steps down to the stone which they couldn't shift. Who took the axe to the stone, history never revieled!
All Mum and Tim said was they were "put out" of the dig by the authorities when it was discovered what had happened.
Mum was alway chuffed to have found the stone but did keep quiet about it.
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As children they got bored and decided to explore this Knowe to find out what was in it!
The trio found beautiful steps down to the stone which they couldn't shift. Who took the axe to the stone, history never revieled!
All Mum and Tim said was they were "put out" of the dig by the authorities when it was discovered what had happened.
Mum was alway chuffed to have found the stone but did keep quiet about it.
Added by Pat Garrow nee Hourie on 18 February 2016
Harray
