12 November 2008

 

THE STONES ARE HOME

Caithness Horizons is delighted to be welcoming home the two standing stones – the Skinnet and Ulbster Stones – which will form the dramatic entrance in the newly refurbished museum and visitor centre when it opens in December.

The stones have been in Edinburgh for two years undergoing extensive restoration work by stone conservator, Nicolas Boyes.  Talking about the restoration project, Mr Boyes said: “The project has been a labour-intensive one.  When the stones were delivered, they arrived as single subjects although they had been broken into pieces and crudely restored during the 20th century with cement as an adhesive – the fingerprints of the restorer still visible in the cement.  The Skinnet Stone was the most challenging as it had been broken into six pieces.

“Before any deconstruction work began, the stones were recorded thoroughly.  From there, all traces of the cement mortar – a substance that is damaging to the stonework - were painstakingly removed.  During this process, we discovered that the previous restorers had chiselled away at the back of the stone to create a key to refix the pieces. 

“After the cleaning process, the stones were reconstructed with polyester resin and, where necessary, stainless steel dowels.”

The Ulbster Stone had originally stood in the ancient burial ground of St Martin’s Church at Ulbster.  It was then moved and erected on a mound in the grounds of Thurso Castle.  From there, it was transferred to Thurso Museum where it has been on display ever since.

One side of the Ulbster Stone is carved in a simple style with a cross and Pictish symbols.  The other side, which had been uppermost in the churchyard and is therefore much more weathered, has a more sophisticated cross with a great variety of other symbols.  Mr Boyes continued: “During the cleaning process, forms emerged on the Stone that had never been recorded.  The newly discovered carvings are of a seated figure with a tribal hairstyle and an indistinct horse carving showing the horse lying down with hooves tucked under itself.  There is also the front of a creature, the rear of a creature and the snout of a boar.”

The Skinnet Stone was found in St Thomas’ Chapel, Skinnet in 1861.  It has ornate crosses filled with interlace on both sides, flanked by several Pictish symbols, and an interlace panel down one of its narrow sides. 

Both stones are large and heavy to handle - weighing around one tonne each - but the detail on them is very fragile and vulnerable.  They were encased in timber for transportation from the workshop to Caithness.  The installation into the exhibition was pre-planned to control movement and ensure that there was no damage to the stones.

Mr Boyes concluded: “The stones have been a delight to work on.  They are beautiful, monumental and majestic.  I was sorry to see them leave the workshop but I’m delighted that they are returning home and are now ready for the outside world to appreciate.”

 

Further Information

Isabel Johnson, Tel 01595 692465, Email