The salmon-pink granite monolith known as the Maiden Stone was
erected by the Picts in the eighth century AD at the time when
Christianity was filtering into the north-east. It bears,
Janus-like, a series of vivid symbols, carved in relief, and, on
the other face, a round-headed cross, set between a possible
calvary scene and a great roundel filled with interlace. The
symbols, which are vigorously carved in relief and include a beast
or dolphin, mirror and comb, look back to the powerful range of animal and object symbols used as a kind of heraldry on memorial stones in the two previous
centuries. The cross side indicates its use as a preaching site
during the conversion of the Picts.
The notch out of the northern edge of the stone has fed a legend
concerning the daughter of the laird of Balquhain who was baking
bannocks on her wedding day and bet a stranger that she could
finish her task before he had built a road to the top of Bennachie,
'ere she would become his own'. Being the Devil, he won: she took
to her heels and, in answer to her prayers, was turned to stone as
he caught her, the notch being the spot where he grasped her.
The Maiden Stone gets covered with wooden shuttering during the
winter months ( about Nov-March) to protect it from the elements,
so although you won't be able to see the stone then, you will still
be able to log the cache.
The cache is near the stone itself, with no need to walk on the
very busy road.
It is a micro, so please bring a pen, and ensure you close the cache properly again to help prevent water damage, thankyou.