Scottish Picts

Posted by Ginger Groves Jun 29, 2006

In the Scottish Highlands, 1st Century AD Roman conquerors found a tribe of tattoo-covered, "primitive" and "barbaric" people (by Roman standards at least). Romans dubbed them the Picts, or Painted People.

The Painted People of Scotland

The Picts were allegedly fascinated with animals. And, because there were no artist canvases or even a sketch pad available, they drew their animals on rocks. :-)

Historians maintain that the Picts were amazingly accurate in their renderings of animals, considering there were no Petroglyphs for Dummies available in ancient times. All the animals drawn on rocks by the Picts are lifelike and easily recognizable...all but one.

Did Picts Draw the Loch Ness Monster?

The exception is a very strange looking beast with an elongated beak (or trunk), a head, and flippers instead of feet. Some say it looks like a swimming elephant. This is the earliest known evidence of something large, monstrous, and down-right scary looking making its home in Loch Ness.

According to sources, these stones are still around, in the region of Loch Ness.

More about Travel to Scotland and the Mystery of Loch Ness:

• Read my article about Modern Scottish Loch Ness Hoaxes.
• This blog is part of the Historic Travel series on The Scotland Traveler.