Forres’ Sueno Stone visited by fund-raising historian aiming to discover monument’s origins

A historian walked hundreds of miles over 18 days to research his theory on the origins of a nationally significant monument - and raise funds for charity.

James Bruce from Berwick set off from the Borders, heading north along central and eastern Scotland before covering the final stretch west through Moray via the Battle Stone at Mortlach Parish Church, Dufftown and a night with the monks at Pluscarden Abbey, before arriving at Sueno’s Stone in Forres.

He said: “I tried to prioritise other monoliths and battlefields relating to the reigns of Malcolm II, his father Kenneth II, and also Macbeth, including Lumphanan, near Banchory, where Macbeth was killed.

“Morebattle near Kelso is my own preferred location for the Battle of Carham; the most significant Scottish victory depicted on Sueno’s Stone. I started there and headed first towards Edinburgh, where the National Museum of Scotland has a number of important stone monuments from the same period and earlier.

“I came through Stirling and Bannockburn, then Perth and Kinross, where there are a number of ancient stone monuments at Meigle and Aberlemno. I also took in the Dupplin Cross in Dunning.

“I hope to show how they complement my case that Sueno’s Stone deserves to be called ‘Scotland Birth Certificate’; neither Lothian nor Strathclyde were “Scottish” before Malcolm’s reign.”

James previously presented his theory as a Winter Talk at the Tolbooth for Forres Heritage Trust.

Trustee and author of thesis ‘The Stone of Forres, also known as Sueno's Stone’, Ray Mills, and the Lord Lieutenant of Moray, Major General Seymour Monro, whose father the then-Under Secretary of State for the Environment unveiled the stone’s glass case in the early 1990’s, asked Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to allow James inside to examine the monument up close.

James said: “I hope to write a comprehensive account of Sueno’s Stone, based on my walk. I took detailed notes about the historical sites I visited on the way.

“My aim is to rescue the reputations of Malcolm II and historian Hector Boece. Neither get the recognition they deserve.”

He added: “I’m grateful to HES for the privilege of being allowed inside the cabinet on Findhorn Road, and seeing the monument as it was when it was first put up.

Ray believes the stone can be traced back to the ninth century AD and the time of the first Scottish kings, particularly Kenneth MacAlpin’s, who, after his crowning in 843AD as first Gaelic King of Picts, subsequently commissioned the stone to communicate the execution of his enemies, his anointment, and decree of a succession of single line of descent.

Essentially, James proposes that the monument commemorates the campaigns of Scottish King Malcolm II in the north of England. He believes the annotated slab was erected to convince the people of Moray (and their Mormaer, Macbeth) that Malcolm's son Duncan was the rightful heir to the throne.

James acknowledges that any theory about the stone's original meaning will be difficult to prove now, but that it is nevertheless an important artefact which tells us something about Scotland at the earliest times of its emergence as the nation we know today.

He explained: “Few things are as big, impressive or amazing as Sueno’s Stone which details a vital part of Scottish history. The name is really a red herring - it points to a series of battles with the Danes, which have been wrongly dismissed as folklore. The Dane Sueno (aka Sweyn) Forkbeard was around when history records numerous Anglo-Danish and Danish-Irish conflicts, so it’s absurd to think that the Scots were let off the hook. We’re supposed to believe that figures like Sueno and his son Cnut never gave Scottish coastal waters so much as a second glance!

“During the Victorian era it became conventional to believe that events like the Battles of Mortlach and Cruden Bay between the Scots and the Danes had been invented. I would like to restore the folklore as history, including King Malcolm II’s importance.”

He added: “Hector Boece was an early sixteenth century historian whose reputation took a battering in the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s true, for instance, that in his account of Macbeth, he talks about the three witches so we have to be careful about some of his material. In recent years however, thanks to Glasgow University’s Professor Dauvit Broun and Professor Nicola Royan, now in Nottingham, and also to Professor Dana Sutton in the United States, we know that Boece wasn’t just making things up – he relied on genuine sources which are now lost.

“I believe this early eleventh century monument tells the story of Malcolm II and was commissioned by him. On one side it shows battles not with Danes but with Northumbrians and Malcolm II’s ultimate triumph over the English. It tells the story of Malcolm’s conquest of Lothian and Strathclyde, including the Battle of Carham in 1018 and the Siege of Durham in 1006. The other side is a statement about the succession of his grandson Duncan, acting as a warning to Macbeth. The giant, intricately decorated cross gives it authority. Macbeth is being told that he is excluded and Duncan is the next rightful king.”

James believes that Scotland - as we know it today - really dates from the Battle of Carham.

He explained: “Although Edinburgh may have been Scottish in the late tenth century, Glasgow wasn’t until the eleventh century. And importantly, the Battle of Carham ensured that the Tweed became the border in the east.”

James is currently writing an updated thesis following his historic walk and investigation which he aims to have published fully next year.

He said: “I visited places of importance to the story of Malcolm II and Kenneth II, Duncan and Macbeth.

“Sueno’s Stone is the most impressive intact early medieval monument in northern Britain. It’s unique. I believe it also ties in with the historical Macbeth and sets the scene for his reign in the same way the three witches do in Shakespeare’s play. The Macbeth angle is one of the things that makes Sueno’s Stone so special, and is a reason it should be more famous. It helps to tell the fascinating real story of Macbeth, which is not the same as the play.”

James completed his 18 day trek on behalf of Mary’s Meals, raising £350 for the charity that provides feeding programmes in poor countries.

“It was exciting to meet Sir Nick Faldo in Huntly and give him a card with a few details about Mary's Meals,” finished James. “And it was great to see Mary’s Meals literature and a collection box in St John’s Church in Forres!”