▁a ▁house , ▁above ▁a ▁fire place ▁or ▁in ▁a ▁prominent ▁position ▁facing ▁the ▁entrance ▁or ▁in ▁the ▁gard ens , ▁such ▁as ▁above ▁a ▁door way ▁in ▁wall . ▁Many ▁are ▁no ▁longer ▁visible ▁having ▁been ▁covered ▁over ▁in ▁some ▁way ▁such ▁as ▁when ▁older ▁buildings ▁have ▁been ▁extended , ▁por ches ▁built , ▁etc . ▁O ften ▁the ▁husband ' s ▁initial s ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁left ▁and ▁the ▁wife ' s ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁right . ▁ ▁Design ▁ ▁Usually ▁car ved ▁into ▁stone ▁or ▁sometimes ▁wood , ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁very ▁detailed , ▁with ▁usually ▁only ▁the ▁initial s ▁of ▁the ▁married ▁couple , ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁marriage ▁and ▁sometimes ▁the ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁two ▁families , ▁just ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁husband ▁and ▁very ▁rarely ▁the ▁combined ▁co ats ▁of ▁arms ▁of ▁both ▁families . ▁In ▁some ▁cases ▁the ▁ad orn ment ▁was ▁religious ▁in ▁nature , ▁such ▁as ▁at ▁' The ▁Hill ' ▁farm ▁m ansion ▁house ▁( see ▁photograph ) ▁or ▁an ▁art istic ▁design ▁simply ▁placed ▁there ▁as ▁an ▁orn ament ation . ▁The ▁designs ▁are ▁found ▁cut ▁into ▁the ▁stone ▁or ▁standing ▁proud ▁of ▁the ▁rock ▁face . ▁Origin ally ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁stones ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁bright ly ▁painted ▁and ▁ad orn ed ▁with ▁gilt . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁ ▁Scotland ▁ ▁A ik et ▁Castle , ▁Dun lop , ▁East ▁A yr shire ▁– ▁At ▁A ik et , ▁the ▁stone ▁is ▁set ▁into ▁the ▁wall ▁of ▁a ▁building