Hill fort reveals its story
Ateam of volunteers has completed an excavation (dig) at an ancient hill fort in Scotland. People have known of the existence of the King’s Seat hill fort, near the town of Dunkeld, for more than a century but serious research has only been done in the past few years. The efforts were led by local people who were interested in the site’s history and archaeology (the objects that might be found there and what they could reveal about its past).
The research project included a period of excavation between 2017 and 2019. The results have pretty much confirmed that the hill fort belonged to the Picts – a group of people who lived in the northern and eastern parts of what is now Scotland. The Picts were first mentioned by the Romans in AD297 but some experts believe they were in the area from much earlier times. They were skilled metalworkers and marked their territory with standing stones carved with pictures of people and animal symbols such as salmon, stags, wolves and sea monsters.
Items found at the King’s Seat hill fort suggest that people living there were well connected with other parts of Europe. They traded goods across the sea, including pottery from France and glass that may have been made in Germany. The fort was probably home to people of high status – perhaps even royal – and was used from the 7th to 9th centuries.
The project was launched by Dave MacDougall, a local history enthusiast, and local volunteers – including students from the nearby Pitlochry High School – helped the archaeologists, clearing away overgrown plants and carefully digging up artefacts.
The team found proof that the hill fort was once surrounded by steep banks or ramparts made from earth, wood and stone. There were three tiers, or levels, inside and at the highest level stood a central building that was fortified (protected against attack).