Trusty's Hill

Trusty's Hill is a small vitrified hillfort about a mile to the west of the present-day town of Gatehouse of Fleet, in the parish of Anwoth in the Stewartry district of Dumfries and Galloway.

Trusty's Hill
Trusty's Hill is located in Dumfries and Galloway
Trusty's Hill
Shown within Dumfries and Galloway
Locationnear Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway
Coordinates54°52′43.97″N 4°12′3.42″W
OS grid referenceNX58895601
Typehillfort
Length29 m (95 ft)
Width17 m (56 ft)
Area0.04 ha (0.099 acres) (summit enclosure)
History
Foundedc. 600 AD
Abandonedearly 7th century
Site notes
Excavation dates1960, 2012
Designated19 January 1926
Reference no.SM1100

The site is notable for a carved Pictish stone located near the entrance to the fort, one of only a handful of such stones found outside the core Pictish heartland of North-East Scotland. Recent (2012) archaeological investigation has also found evidence of feasting and high-status metalworking at the site, and what has been interpreted as a constructed ceremonial processional route. Together these have led to speculation that the site might have been an important centre or location of royal inaugurations for a Brythonic kingdom centred in Galloway and South-West Scotland, circa 600 AD — perhaps to be identified with the elusive north British kingdom of Rheged, which gained greatest prominence under its legendary leader Urien at a similar time in the late 6th century before apparently utterly disappearing in the early 7th century.

Description and history
  • 1856 drawing of the symbols on the stone. To the left is a double disc with Z-rod, to the right a fish monster and a sword. The head with antennae is a 19th-century addition.
    1856 drawing of the symbols on the stone. To the left is a double disc with Z-rod, to the right a fish monster and a sword. The head with antennae is a 19th-century addition.
  • The stone in 2015, protected by an iron grille.
    The stone in 2015, protected by an iron grille.

Further reading
  • Ronan Toolis and Christopher Bowles (2017), The Lost Dark Age Kingdom of Rheged: the Discovery of a Royal Stronghold at Trusty’s Hill, Galloway. Oxford: Oxbow Books, ISBN 9781785703119. (Publisher's website; JSTOR; Google Books). Official published report of the 2012 investigation.
  • Interim report, October 2012
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