Author Barbara Henderson visits the Inverness Museum to investigate the Pictish Stones! The Picts were native Scottish people who lived at the time of the Romans. We know very little about them, as most records were written by their enemies, the Romans!
But we do have the many beautifully-carved stones that the Picts left behind, covered with weird and wonderful beasts and intricate knotwork. Most mysteriously of all, we have carvings of mermaids, and even a strange unknown animal called the Pictish Beast!
What could the Pictish Beast be? And what would it have been like to encounter a Pictish stone nearly 2,000 years ago? Delve into a Time Tunnel with Barbara to find out!
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About the author
I write novels for children: Fir for Luck (2016), Punch (2017), Wilderness Wars (2018), Black Water (2019), The Siege of Caerlaverock (2020), The Chessmen Thief (2021), The Reluctant Rebel (2022), Rivet Boy (2023), The Boy, the Witch and the Queen of Scots (2024), I Don’t Do Mountains (2025) and To War with Wallace (2025). In addition, I have written two non-fiction books for adults called Scottish by Inclination (2021) and Made from Girders (2023). Alongside writing and visiting schools as an author or storyteller, I also work as a drama teacher in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland.
Video transcript
Imagine looking over the wall of a Roman fort toward the north. Emerging from the woodland on the other side are the enemies that made Roman eyes widen. Who are they? The Romans called them “the painted ones”—we call them the Picts.
What do we actually know about them? Let’s dive in.
I’m Barbara Henderson, and I’m a writer. The Picts were Celtic-speaking tribes who lived in the northern and eastern parts of Scotland. Described as “the painted ones,” they likely had body tattoos or something similar, and today they are best known for their carved stones.
I’m currently at the Inverness Museum to take a look at some of these carvings. We know very little about the Picts apart from their incredible artwork. Few written sources survive, and those that do were typically written by their enemies, the Romans. We have a list of their kings, but that’s about it.
Most of their carvings center on recognizable animals, like a wolf or a cow. But then there’s this: it appears on many Pictish stones and is known as the “Pictish Beast,” though what it actually represents remains a mystery. Does it remind you of anything? Do any stories spring to mind that this creature could star in?
Leaving the Inverness Museum, we headed to another location displaying more Pictish stones. There it is again—the Pictish Beast, surrounded by intricate knotwork.
We also spotted other fascinating carvings:
- The Pictish Cross: A motif that appears on many later stones following the arrival of Christianity in the Pictish kingdom during the reign of King Bridei.
- The Mermaid: A figure surrounded by detailed knotwork.
- Local Wildlife: Animals like otters, which would have been very familiar to the people of the time.
- The Hunt: A dramatic scene showing a dog biting into the leg of its prey.
- Other Animals: Detailed carvings of cats and wolves.
It must have taken an enormous amount of time to carve all this into stone. These beautiful artworks leave plenty of room for imagination. What stories do they inspire for you?
Writing Challenge:
Try using these images—the cat, the wolf, the cow, the hunt, or even the Pictish Beast—as inspiration for a dramatic story opening. Place a character from a Pictish tribe into an encounter with one of these amazing animals, and write something truly exciting. I would also love to see a story that features a carved Pictish stone.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Time Tunnellers 