#pitempton

[jock-tamson]

Martin's Stone, Pitempton, near Dundee

[hagothehills]

Today I dragged my lovely man out in the cold air, crunching across a frosty field to see our local Pictish stone. Known as the Balluderon stone, St Martin's stone or Martin's Stane this is said to be the site where a local hero avenged the death of his lover by slaying the dragon who killed her. There were nine maidens and their father who lived at Pitempton farm. He sent a daughter out to fetch water from.a well and when she didn't return he sent another and another until all nine maidens had been sent. Martin, a young blacksmith and lover of one of the daughters found that a dragon from the well had eaten all of the maidens and he chased the dragon around Dundee. The saying goes: 'Tempted at Pitempton, Draigled at Baldragon Stricken at Strathmartine And killed at Martin's stane.' Each of these are places names around Dundee. I have ties to Pitempton through my grandfather and great grandfather who ran Pitempton farm many years ago. So for me not only was this a fascinating link to history but also a connection to my ancestors. I took home a piece of natural quartz from the field and will set it on my ancestors altar. The Sidlaws are pictured in the background, the fairy hills of Angus and Perthshire. #Dundee #scotland #folklore #history #mythology #picts #pictishstone #balluderon #pitempton #stmartin #martin'sstone #dundeedragon #ninemaidens