Struan Kirk has been associated with the Clan Donnachaidh/Robertson’s since its first chief, Fat Duncan at the time of Bannockburn and still plays a part in the tradition and heritage of the clan today.
While the present church is a 19th century rebuild, it is thought there has been a church on the site since the days when Pict and Scot were learning to live with each other, being converted to and practising Christianity and establishing their mechanisms of governance and social control.
Three Pictish or early medieval sculptures have been found at various times in Struan Kirkyard. Two are simple, quartzite-slate pillar-like stones incised with simple crosses. The first, found in 1868, stands in the middle of the churchyard and has two crosses engraved on it. The second has been used in the construction of the Kirkyard wall and is difficult to locate. The third can be found inside the kirk where it was moved for protection. It is attached to the wall of the pulpit and is a large (132cm in height), irregularly shaped slab of schistose slate incised on one face with Pictish symbols.
Unfortunately the bottom-right corner of the slab has been broken off and while the portion of the slab with the double-disc and Z-rod is still complete, a symbol incised on a slightly higher slice of stone has been partly destroyed when a slice of the facing has sheared off in the past.
Picture copyright Karen Vernon and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
