Rodney's Stone is a two-metre high Pictish cross slab now located close on the approach way to Brodie Castle, near Forres. It was originally found nearby in the grounds of the old church of Dyke and Moy. It is classed as a Class II Pictish stone, meaning that it has a cross on one face, and symbols on the other. On the symbols face, at the top, are two fish monsters; below is a 'Pictish Beast', and below that a double disc and z-rod. On the cross face there is a cross and some animals.
The stone is most notable, however, for its inscription, which is found on both of the sides and on the cross face. It is the longest of all Pictish inscriptions, and like most Pictish inscriptions, is written in the Ogham alphabet. Much of the inscription is weathered, but it does contain the Pictish name Ethernan (a prominent Pictish saint), written as EDDARRNON.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.