St Vigeans - Arbroath, Angus.
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creg-ny-baa
N 56° 34.600 W 002° 35.353
30V E 525236 N 6270339
Historic information about the village of St Vigeans, in particular its church and Pictish stones.
Waymark Code: WM10X2G
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/04/2019
Views: 1
St Vigeans, named after an Irish saint, St Fechin of Fohbar (latin Vigianus), who died in 664, is a small village on the northern outskirts of the Angus coastal town of Arbroath. It is famous for its Pictish past, including the parish church on a hill, and the Pictish stones now housed in a museum. An information sign at a car park in the village reads as follows:
'In front of you is St Vigeans Church. For over 1300 years the partly artificial hill on which it stands has been used for Christian worship. Pictish monks founded a monastery here, probably around AD 700.
The prominent position of the hill, standing between two burns, was ideal for a high status religious centre. A royal palace may have stood on the hill behind, where the manse now stands.
The carved stones left by the Picts give us a fascinating glimpse into their lives here. They are displayed in St Vigeans Museum in the cottages to your right, under the care of Historic Scotland.
The Drosten Stone is one of the treasures of Pictish art. It has an interlace cross with devilish beasts on the front and a naturalistic hunting scene with symbols on the back. A rare inscription on the side features the name Drosten - perhaps a Pictish lord or abbot.
Only fragments of some stone survive. Experts have examined them to reconstruct how they once looked. This cross-arm is on display in the museum.'
Also on the sign is an illustration of the stones, an interior photograph of the church, and information on other Pictish sites in the county of Angus.