Kildalton Cross, Islay, United Kingdom

The Kildalton Cross is a monolithic high cross in Celtic cross form in the churchyard of the former parish church of Kildalton. It was carved probably in the second half of the 8th century AD, and is closely related to crosses of similar date on Iona. It is often considered the finest surviving Celtic cross in Scotland, and is certainly one of the most perfect monuments of its date to survive on western Europe. A simpler cross of late medieval date stands nearby.

The Kildalton Cross features an iconic image of the Virgin and Child, which is closely related to similar Virgin and Child iconography found on St. Martin's Cross and St. Oran's Cross at Iona.

References:

Wikipedia

Statues in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Neil Westland (8 months ago)
The walk down to Port Mor is well worth it

Barbara Broadbent (8 months ago)
Love it. Also enjoyed the cakes we brought. Its a great way to look after the cross.

M “LoveToTravel” Poddar (9 months ago)
The place is locked up and unreachable due to unstable structure, but were able to see most of the cross from just outside the walls.

Susan MacLellan (9 months ago)
Wow this place is amazing. And I got quite emotional reading the inscriptions on the grave stones. Some really young deaths

Iain Sutherland (2 years ago)
Wonderful experience. Magical area, lovely inlets and sandy bays, not mention the three famous distillery's on route. Ardtalla is worth a detour.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright larrywkoester

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Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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