The Maiden Stone - Garioch, Aberdeenshire.
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creg-ny-baa
N 57° 18.725 W 002° 29.603
30V E 530517 N 6352239
Pictish Standing Stone dating from the 8th century, on a roadside location in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire.
Waymark Code: WMZ3V8
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/06/2018
Views: 1
This standing stone of pinkish granite was carved by the Picts around or after 700AD. It stands on the south side of a minor road a mile west of the Chapel of Garioch some fifteen miles north-west of the city of Aberdeen.
Thought to be a Christian symbol used as a marker for travellers from Aberdeenshire to Moray, its legend is of a young maiden who challenged a man that she could bake bannocks quicker than he could build a road to the summit of the nearby Mither Tap of Bennachie. The man turned out to be the Devil and having lost the wager the maiden fled, only to be turned to stone before the Devil could catch her. The prominent notch on the stone's side is thought to be where he grabbed her shoulder.
The stone has many intricate carvings on both sides generally regarded as Pictish symbols and is now in the care of Historic Scotland. A parking area is situated on the side of the road to the east of the stone and an Historic Scotland sign next to it gives details of the stone and its history.