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The Burghead Bulls are a group of carved Pictish stones from the site of Burghead Fort in Moray, Scotland, each featuring an incised image of a bull. Up to 30 were discovered during the demolition of the fort to create the town of Burghead in the 19th century, but most were lost when they were used to build the harbour quayside. Six remain: two in the Visitor Centre in Burghead, two in Elgin Museum, one in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and one in the British Museum in London.

Interpretation of the stones' original role has varied. Some scholars have suggested they were displayed on the fort's ramparts as symbols of power; others have seen them as having a votive role in a frieze as part of a pagan fertility cult; while others argue they were standing stones lining a processional route through the ramparts, a role suggested by their likely original kite-shaped form. The Bulls probably represent an early pre-Christian phase of the fort's existence in the 7th or late 6th centuries, while the later shrine panels and cross-slabs represented by the Burghead sculpture fragments indicate the presence of an Early Christian centre during a later period, as the association between the church and royal power grew from the 7th century onwards.

Burghead 1 on display at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Burghead 2 on display at Burghead Visitor Centre
Burghead 3 on display at Elgin Museum
Burghead 5 on display at the British Museum, London
Burghead 6 on display at Elgin Museum

	Type	Date	Material and Dimensions	Location found	Date found	Current location	Notes
Burghead 1	Symbol stone	7th century	Sandstone, H 0.69m x W 0.43m x D 0.08m	Burghead Fort or Burghead Well	1809	National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh	Some sources claim that this was discovered in Burghead Well, but the earliest source is clear that it was in fact discovered during quarrying of the fort ramparts in 1809.
Burghead 2	Symbol stone fragment	7th century	Sandstone, H 0.31m x W 0.48m x D 0.10m	South Quay, Burghead Harbour	1862	Burghead Visitor Centre
Burghead 3	Symbol stone fragment	7th century	Sandstone, H 0.41m x W 0.53m x D 0.18m	Burghead	Before 1867	Elgin Museum
Burghead 4	Symbol stone fragment	7th century	Sandstone, H 0.28m x W 0.28m x D 0.10m	South Quay, Burghead Harbour	1867	Burghead Visitor Centre	Discovered during the demolition of a house in South Quay.
Burghead 5	Symbol stone	7th century	Sandstone, 0.53m x W 0.53m x D 0.08m	Burghead	Before 1809	British Museum, London	Exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries in London in 1809.
Burghead 6	Symbol stone fragment	7th century	Sandstone, H 0.61m x W 0.46m x D 0.15m	South Quay, Burghead Harbour	1884	Elgin Museum

References

Driscoll, Stephen T. (2007). "Burghead". In Lynch, Michael (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN 9780199234820. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Noble 2019, p. 54.
Noble 2019, pp. 54–55.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 1, Moray, Pictish symbol stone". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 2, Moray, Pictish symbol stone fragment". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 3, Moray, Pictish symbol stone fragment". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 4, Moray, Pictish symbol stone fragment". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 5, Moray, Pictish symbol stone". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
Ritchie, A (2017). "Burghead 6, Moray, Pictish symbol stone fragment". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 1 May 2021.

Bibliography

Noble, Gordon (2019). "Fortified settlement in northern Pictland". In Noble, Gordon; Evans, Nicholas (eds.). The King in the North: The Pictish Realms of Fortriu and Ce. Birlinn. pp. 39–57. ISBN 178027551X.

v t e Pictish sculptured stones
Caithness	Ackergill Birkle Hill Crosskirk Latheron Sandside Skinnet Ulbster Watenan
Ross	Ardjachie Stone Dingwall Stone Edderton Cross Slab Clach Chairidh Gairloch Stone Hilton of Cadboll Stone Nigg Stone Poolewe Stone Portmahomack sculpture fragments Rosemarkie Stone Rosemarkie sculpture fragments Rosskeen Stone Shandwick Stone Strathpeffer Stone
Badenoch and Strathspey	Advie Stone Ballintomb Stone Congash Stones Dunachton Stone Findlarig Stone Grantown Stone Inverallan Stone Lynchurn Stone
Moray	Birnie Symbol Stone Burghead Bulls Burghead (fragment) stone Dandaleith stone Drainie Carved Stones Easterton of Roseisle stone Elgin Pillar Inveravon Church stones (4) Rodney's Stone Sculptor's Cave symbol wall carvings Sueno's Stone
Inverness	Balbair Stones Culaird Stone Dores Stone Drumbuie Stone Garbeg Stone Invereen Stone Kingsmills Stone Knocknagael Stone Lochardill Stone Torgorm Stone
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire	Ardlair Stone Aquhollie Stone Brandsbutt Stone Broomend of Crichie stone Cairnton stone Dunnicaer stones Dyce stones Fordoun Stone Fyvie Stones Kintore stones Logie Elphinstone Stones Maiden Stone Migvie Stone Monymusk Stone Nether Corskie Stone Newbigging, Leslie Stone Newton Stone Picardy Stone Rhynie Stones Tillytarmont Stones
Angus	Aberlemno Sculptured Stones Balluderon Stone Camus Cross Drosten Stone Dunnichen Stone Eassie Stone Glamis Manse Stone Hunter's Hill Stone Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones Monifieth Sculptured Stones St Orland's Stone St Vigeans Sculptured Stones Strathmartine Castle Stone Woodwrae Stone
Perth and Kinross	Bullion Stone Dupplin Cross Meigle standing stones
Fife	Abdie stone Scoonie Stone
Orkney	Brough of Birsay Greens Knowe of Burrian
Shetland	Breck of Hillwell Cunningsburgh

Category:

Pictish stones