Picturing the Picts: Photogrammetry and the Shandwick Stone

The Shandwick stone, or Clach a’Charaidh, (see HER MHG8539) is one of a group of Class II Pictish symbol stones on the Tarbat peninsula seaboard, These are carved rectangular slabs several metres high which typically feature a large cross on one side, plus elaborate decoration, enigmatic Pictish symbols and secular or biblical scenes. They are thought to date from the 8th or 9th Centuries AD. For a general guide to the Pictish stones in the Easter Ross area see the Highland Council’s Pictish Trail.

In November 2015 there was a NOSAS field trip to Tarbat to visit the stone at Shandwick, along with those at Hilton of Cadboll and Nigg. Here we were able to obtain access behind the steel framed glass case which now protects the Shandwick stone against the elements. Alan Thompson took some photos of the hunting panel of the stone and then used photogrammetry to bring out the details of the scene.

The top image above shows one of four camera pictures that Alan took of the panel from different angles. He then processed the four images to produce a 3D model of the surface which we can look at in different ways.

The middle image shows the 3D surface with colour/texture removed, but with angled lighting applied to bring out the relief using shadowing.

Finally in the lower image the 3D surface has been processed to show depth. Areas which are ‘closer’ to the viewer are dark blue, those further away lighter blue, etc to red for distant ones. The red coloured area on the left is due to a broken part of the stone.

The Stone that Built Fort George

by Roland Spencer-Jones (NOSAS)

On the north side of Munlochy Bay there is a small sheltered and now neglected harbour, draped in trees and silting up. Behind it, linked by a track, is a huge hole in the cliffs. Flanking the harbour, like two long arms reaching to the sea, are the massive spoil heaps that are what remains of the quarry that dug into the cliff. For more than ten years, from 1748 onwards, sandstone blocks from the quarry were loaded onto boats in the harbour and taken across the Firth to a vast building project on a spit of land near Ardeseir. This is the stone that built Fort George.

Munlochy Bay Harbour, OS 1871

There was an earlier Fort George, built on the site in Inverness now occupied by the Castle. It was constructed by General Wade in 1727 as part of the government’s attempt to constrain the Highlands. However, a mere two days of concerted siege ended in its surrender to Prince Charles Stuart in February 1746, and it was blown up a few days later. After Culloden it was clear that a more formidable defence against the Highlanders would be needed, capable of sustaining a garrison of 2000 men. Initial thoughts were to site near the present Inverness harbour, on the site of a previous fort built by Cromwell. However, the site at Arderseir provided more space, and no threat from bombardment from the heights of North Kessock.

Work began in 1748 under the direction of Colonel Skinner. The defences were mostly in place by 1757, and the work was finally completed by 1769, at a reputed total cost of £200,000. A colossal sum for the time.

The Quarry in 2013.