Get your hands dirty in search of history
DIGGING INTO THE PAST with Dr Murray Cook
Stirling - The Final Frontier
One of the strange things about Stirling is that it wasn’t always Scottish, for nearly 400 years between circa 700 and 1100 the Forth was the frontier between Pictland (which become Alba and then Scotland) and the Kingdom of Northumberland.
It was the actions of Malcolm III and his three children, culminating in David I who first conquered Stirling and then secured it. The castle was probably built around 1100 and the burgh founded 1124 - and of course this means that our 900th birthday is approaching. I think we look pretty good for our age!
Anyway, the frontier on the Forth had to be defended. We think Kenneth II fortified the banks of the Forth in the 10th century and this might mean hillforts. My excavations have identified two of these defensive places - the Abbey Craig and Keir
Hill of Dasher at Kippen.
Now the interior of the Abbey Craig fort of course has the National Wallace Monument in it and this pretty much destroyed the fort’s interior. A couple of years ago Kippen Heritage and I sampled Dasher’s boundary ditch, this confirmed that the fort dates to between 950 to 1150.
As the frontier moved south, Dasher stopped being useful and the military moved on so it was never rebuilt or mucked around with. Because of this I think that it may well be unique in Scotland, a very rare Viking Age fortification. Yet another reason to celebrate just how amazing Stirling’s past is.
However, what I really wanted to tell you is that we are going back at the end of May (27-30) and all of you are invited! We will be having an open day but if you want to get your hands dirty let me know at cookm@stirling.gov. uk.