8 March 2025

It’s almost twenty-five years since we visited the archaeological dig at Whithorn where Peter Hill and his team had just uncovered a 1,200 year old church in the grounds of the Priory. It had wooden walls resting on stone foundations. It was impressive but did not make as much impact on me as the ancient stones found at Whithorn and nearby Kirkmadrine.

Two were of outstanding significance. The first was called the Latinus Stone. It was found near the early church in 1891 and described as a ‘roughly squared pillar stone’.  It had a Latin inscription. ‘We praise thee Lord. Latinus aged thirty-five and his daughter, aged four. The grandson Barrovadus set up the monument here.’

The opening words came from Psalm 146 and form part of the Roman Office for the Dead. The pillar was a gravestone. It had been erected by a surviving relative. It had been dated to the middle of the fifth century. It is the earliest Christian memorial in Scotland.

The second was the most ancient stone in the Kirkmadrine collection. It was also a roughly squared pillar stone. Once again, there was a Latin inscription. ‘Here lie the holy chief priests, Ides, Viventius and Marovius.’  The guidebook suggested that ‘chief priests probably referred to bishops’.

Right at the top of the stone, there were two Christian symbols. The first was ‘Alpha et …’ The omega had disappeared with some weathered stone! The other was the chi-rho symbol set within a circle. The stone marked the bishops’ burial place and dates from the fifth century!

Here was tangible evidence to validate our ancient Christian heritage. By the middle of the fifth century, there was an established Christian community at Whithorn and Kirkmadrine. Unfortunately, neither stone gives us a direct link to St. Ninian!