The victory by King Brude (or Bridei) of the Picts over King Ecgfrith of the Angles on this date is arguably the most significant in British domestic history, towering over Bannockburn in that without Brude's annihilation of the Northumbrian Angles and their king there would not have been an eventual Kingdom of Scotland for which Bruce could fight in 1314.
The Picts left a record of the battle: not in writing but in stone. Standing like an ancient war memorial, the 8th century carved stone in the churchyard at Aberlemno in Angus, tells the story of the battle.
This carved stone is 7½ feet tall and and was made around 750AD - a hundred years after the Battle of Dunnichen. The hole near the top of the slab is a modern addition - it was cut to make it easier to move it in the days before damaging such historic monuments was considered to be a crime!
On the top row, a mounted Pictish horseman is chasing a Northumbrian (identified from his helmet and nose-guard) warrior who has thrown away his helmet and sword. The two tails of the two horses are not docked, which may be an indication that they are important. On the next row, three Pictish soldiers are attacking a Northumbrian horseman and on the third row two warroirs are charging at one another while a third lies dead on the ground - with a raven already picking at his head.
On the other side of this stone is carved a Celtic cross, decorated with an interlacing pattern and flanked by well carved panels - the Pictish carvers often mixed the Christian symbols with those from their earlier history. The mythical beasts in the bottom right-hand corner may have represented sea horses.
The co-ordinates given are for the car-park at Aberlemno Kirk. To find the cache you will need to wander round the graveyard.
* In the NE corner,there is a reddish obelisk in memory of Thomas Wyles who was one of the kirks ministers. he was ordained on the 1Ath May 1844
* At the side of the Storyteller is the grave of Ann Sturrock who died on the 1B Nov 1872
* At the back of the kirk is a modern stone which looks decidedly out of place beside the old slabs. It is in memory of an infant, Douglas who was born and died in July 194C
* Close to the gate is a gravestone with a cloaked urn on top, it is the grave of William Morgan who died on the 15 Dec 18D2
* The gravestone at the south east corner of the kirk was erected by Agnes Smith in memory of her spouse Muray Peter and father James Peter, the sometime tenant in Mains of Melgund. - The date at the top of this stone is 179E
* Amongst the stones leaning against the building behind the kirk is one erected by George Bell of Balconnel. It has a section which appears to have been "tippexed" out by the stonemason! 3rd Jan 185F
The cache can be found at N56 42.ABC W 002 45.DEF
It is an short drive to the cache. When you get to the location you can see exactly what the Picts were fighting so hard to keep.
Cache is a 4" square flat lock and lock box and contains a Stamp, pad, logbook and pencils only.
On route to the cache you will pass the other 3 Aberlemno Stones. There is ample parking at the village hall opposite the largest of these stones, and it is well worth stopping for a few minutes to explore them.
