Canna bullaun stone is Scotland’s first
An early-Christian stone discovered by chance on the National Trust for Scotland’s Isle of Canna is Scotland’s first known example of a bullaun stone.
Dating from around 800AD, the stones tend to be associated with early Christian crosses – of which there is one on Canna. They are usually found at the foot or side of the crosses. Examples are well-known in Ireland, but experts say that this is Scotland’s first example.
The stone, which was chanced upon in Canna’s old graveyard by the conservation charity’s farm manager Geraldine MacKinnon, is approximately 25cm in diameter and is marked with a clearly engraved early Christian cross.
After alerting property manager Stewart Connor who made contact with the Trust’s Head of Archaeology, Stewart then discovered that the stone fits exactly into a large rectangular stone with worn hole which was located at base of the Canna cross.
Stewart said:
“When Geraldine notified me of the stone in the graveyard we spotted the un-familiar outline of a Christian cross as the light hit the stone. We knew right away that it was important and immediately reported the find to our archaeology team. We knew of the importance of bullaun stones and that it could be a really significant find. Our head of archaeology confirmed a possible link to the stone at the cross and I was so excited that I went back out at 9pm that night to check whether it fitted the stone with the hole and it did. The whole community is really excited by the find, which is really significant for the island and potentially, for Scotland too.”
Head of archaeology for the National Trust for Scotland Derek Alexander said:
“This is an amazing find. Bullaun stones tend to be found close to early Christian crosses in Ireland, but this is the first find in Scotland. Often it is usually the socket stones or the dished depressions that are found but there are some examples with the circular rotating stones on the isle of Inishmurray, Co. Sligo. They are usually associated with holes or worn patches in the ground, as it’s believed that the convention was for these stones to be turned multiple times by worshippers when either prayer for or possibly cursing someone. It was very exciting when Stewart sent me the photo of the two stones fitted together.
“Canna has a long and fascinating history, and this find just tells us even more about the treasure trove that we have in the Trust’s care. However, it is also a hugely important find for Scotland, adding more to our knowledge of this distant period in our nation’s past. It will be interesting to see if more bullaun stones emerge around Scotland.”
Dr Katherine Forsyth, a leading expert in the history and culture of the Celtic-speaking peoples in the first millennium AD, based at the University of Glasgow said:
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the first pictures of this beautiful stone. What an amazing find! Stones like this are found in Ireland, where they are known as ‘cursing stones’, but this is the first to be discovered in Scotland. They date from the early Christian period but have continued to be used by pilgrims up to modern times. Traditionally, the pilgrim would recite a prayer while turning the stone clockwise, wearing a depression or hole in the stone underneath. These bowl-shaped lower stones have been found elsewhere in Scotland, including on Canna, but this is the first time a top stone has been found. This exciting find provides important new insight into religious art and practice in early Scotland and demonstrates just how much there is still to be discovered out there.”
