The Picts in Perthshire & Angus

This morning, we leave Edinburgh and travel north. During the morning, we stop at the Pictish fort at East Lomond Hill to hear about the current excavation by one of the lead archaeologists. Afterwards, our journey takes us to St. Andrews, the wonderful medieval city where we’ll inspect the 8^th century sarcophagus, which would have befitted the remains of a Roman emperor, probably created for the remains of King Oengus who died in 761, possible founder of the monastery - this masterpiece may have been created to glorify the newly arrived relics of an apostle of Christ. We end the day at our next hotel.

Today’s tour brings us after a short drive to the Glamis Manse Stone. We continue to Forfar, where we will explore the Meffan Museum to see more of the stone carvers’ art of the southern Picts. After lunch, we will view the Aberlemno stones. Our last visit of the day will be to Arbroath to visit St. Vigeans Sculptured Stones and Museum, an outstanding collection is gathered here from the Pictish royal monastery.

This morning, there will be some free time to explore Dundee at our own leisure. In the McManus Dundee Museum we’ll confront the remains of excavated Picts, including a woman dubbed “Pictoria”, a man who had been decapitated and then afforded a high status burial. Science is now adding new dimensions to our understanding of the health and lives of ordinary Picts. Many of the Pictish churches and monasteries were founded from Iona, with links to Columba’s monastery seen in some of the designs on the monumental cross slabs. Before we journey back to Edinburgh, we will visit the lovely Perthshire town of Dunning to experience this marriage of styles seen in the fabulous freestanding Dupplin Cross, erected in memory of the mighty Pictish king Constantine who died in 820 in the nearby royal palace of Forteviot.