Now treasure hunters get a say in fate of their f inds

THEY scour the fields in search of long-lost treasures.

Now the nation’s legion of metal detectorists are to be given their say in what happens next to the artefacts they unearth.

For the Scottish Government is recruiting detectorists to help decide the fate of newly uncovered items.

With record numbers of Scots taking up the pastime during lockdown, the Government is keen to ensure that the voices of finders are heard.

Its Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel advises the Crown, works alongside the official Treasure Trove Unit and is the first port of call for new discoveries on Scottish soil.

The panel makes recommendations on whether archaeological finds should be acquired on behalf of the nation for allocation to a museum. It also advises on any ‘finder’s fee’ payments to members of the public.

Now the panel is seeking new members and, for the first time, has called upon the unique skill set of metal detectorists, who it admits are currently ‘under-represented’.

The application pack for the new role states: ‘Archaeology has become more visible thanks to the increasing popularity of metal detecting, some recent spectacular finds and entertaining media fact and fiction.

‘The panel and the supporting archaeologists in the Treasure Trove Unit work at the axial point between excavators, finders and the museum displays and study collections where they cumulatively enrich our understanding of Scotland’s past.

‘Ideally candidates for the professional member role should have experience in practical archaeology, including metal detecting, and the metal detecting community.’

The panel meets three times a year in Edinburgh and members are also required to attend other meetings and sites across the country.

The four-year position is unpaid but expenses and subsistence will be covered.

Scotland’s biggest ever hoard of buried treasure was unearthed between 2020 and 2022, when the country was under varying levels of lockdown restrictions that led to people spending a lot more time outdoors. More than 8,000 silver coins dating back to the 13th and 14th Century – worth more than £750,000 – were discovered in Dumfriesshire.

A basic metal detector costs around £50 but state of the art models with various search modes and headsets sell for up to £700.

The hobby has also increased in popularity thanks to the Baftawinning BBC television series Detectorists, starring Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones.