Dunadd – Ancient Royal Center – Kilmartin Glen
- May 2, 2022
- 2 min read
The remains of Dunadd Fort in the Kilmartin Glen in Argyle, Scotland rise out of the Glen like an old boulder dropped from the heavens. Everything around it is flat – and then, there it is. A lumpy hill that is perhaps 4 stories high sitting in a landscape that houses over 300 ancient monuments – the largest collection in all of Scotland. This was the 6th century political and ritual site where the first Scottish Kings were crowned, and where they ruled from.
Home of kings
Excavations in the 1980s found the mound was used as a fort more than 2,000 years ago. But the site is internationally renowned as a royal power centre of the Gaelic kings of Dál Riata, from about AD 500 to AD 800.
Dunadd is one of the few places referenced in early histories. It’s first mentioned in AD 683, by which point it was already a major power centre – potentially already the chief stronghold of Dál Riata. It may also be the spot where St Columba reportedly met a merchant from Gaul in the late 500s.
Power position
On a terrace immediately below the citadel are some remarkable carvings in the rock. There you can see:
a basin cut into the rock
an image of a boar
an inscription in the ogham alphabet
two human footprints
The carved footprints are the most extraordinary of all. They may have been used during inauguration ceremonies for new kings, symbolising the new ruler’s dominion over the land.
A rich archaeological site
Artifacts found here during excavations in the 1980s confirmed Dunadd’s royal status and revealed its international importance.
Finds included:
an impressive range of high-status weapons and metalwork
a large and diverse range of pottery, demonstrating the far-reaching connections of those who lived at Dunadd
It was also a major production centre, and had one of the most significant metalworking workshops in Europe. Only one other site has produced nearly as many moulds – the royal site at Lagore, Ireland. The quality of its finished products – including Hunterston-type brooches – is unsurpassed.
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