Celtic art in Pagan and Christian times

John Stuart Mill · en
The erect cross-slabs are, with a few unimportant exceptions, peculiar
to Scotland and the Isle of Man. They are probably older than the
free-standing crosses, because the erect cross-slabs are not treated
architecturally (as the high crosses of Ireland are), but resemble more
nearly than anything else ornamental pages from the Celtic illuminated
MSS. directly transferred to stone with hardly any modification
whatever to suit the requirements of the new material to which the
decoration was applied. A particularly good instance of this is
afforded by the erect cross-slab at Nigg,[373] Ross-shire. On one side
of the monument is a cross with the ornament arranged in rectangular
panels exactly as it is in the cross-pages of the Irish Gospels; and on
the other a figure subject (David and the Lion) surrounded by a frame,
also divided into panels, as in those of the miniatures in the Book of
Kells.

[368] _Archæologia Cambrensis_, ser. 5, vol. vi., p. 357.

[369] Prof. J. O. Westwood’s _Lapidarium Walliæ_, pl. 60.

[370] _Ibid._, pl. 14.

[371] Dr. J. Stuart’s _Sculptured Stones of Scotland_, vol. ii., pl.
131.

[372] A. G. Langdon’s _Old Cornish Crosses_, p. 412.

[373] Dr. J. Stuart’s _Sculptured Stones of Scotland_, vol. i., p. 28.
See also casts in the South Kensington and Edinburgh Museums.

[Illustration: Erect Cross-Slab at St. Madoes, Perthshire

Scale ¹/₁₂ linear]

The following is a list of some of the best specimens of erect
cross-slabs in Scotland:—

                  NORTHERN PICT-LAND
    Papil (now at Edinburgh)                 Shetland.
    Ulbster (now at Thurso)                  Caithness.
    Farr                                     Sutherland.
    Golspie                                      ”
    Hilton of Cadboll (now at Invergordon)   Ross-shire.
    Nigg                                         ”
    Rosemarkie                                   ”
    Shandwick                                    ”
    Brodie                                   Elginshire.
    Forres                                       ”
    Aboyne                                   Aberdeenshire.
    Dyce                                         ”
    The Maiden Stone                             ”
    Migvie                                       ”

                 SOUTHERN PICT-LAND
    Aberlemno                       Forfarshire.
    Cossins                              ”
    Farnell                              ”
    Glamis                               ”
    Inchbrayock (now at Montrose)        ”
    Invergowrie                          ”
    Monifieth (now at Edinburgh)         ”
    St. Vigeans                          ”
    Woodwray (now at Abbotsford)         ”
    St. Madoes                      Perthshire.
    Meigle                               ”
    Rossie Priory                        ”
    Dunfallandy                          ”

                DALRIADIC SCOTLAND
    Ardchattan                      Argyllshire.