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East Lomond Hillfort Dig 2026

Once home to an Iron Age tribe, and later to Pictish kings, the stronghold on East Lomond hill in Fife was a place of power for almost 1,000 years.

The complex fort of East Lomond comprises a ‘nuclear’ style hillfort with a large c.1.5ha annexe enclosure appended on to the south side.

A Pictish style bull carving has been recovered from the fort and there are symbol stones from nearby Falkland. Working on the site since 2022, experts and volunteers have now established a sequence in the annexe enclosure that extends from the 3rd century (around the time the Picts are first mentioned) to around 600 AD.

Over 0.5m of deposits are identifiable within the annexe – an incredible settlement sequence for Pictland where domestic buildings are hard to locate. Finds to date include weaponry, metalworking, a silver handpin, sherds of E-ware from western France and gaming pieces.

Finds Evening

Come along to a Finds Evening on Friday 10 July at Falkland Community Hall (Back Wynd, Falkland, Cupar KY15 7BX) from 6:30pm to see some of the finds from previous excavations and hear more about them.

Open Day

Join the Open Day on Saturday 11 July when visitors can come up to the trenches for a tour of the site. Tour times are 10am, 11am, 12 noon, and 2pm.

While Dig It! takes every opportunity to ensure that this information is accurate, we advise that you contact the event organiser before attending the event to avoid disappointment.

Image Credit: James O’Driscoll

Accessibility Information

Sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothes suggested.

Park at East Lomond Mast Car Park on the eastern side of the hill. Then just head up the walking path. The team are only 50m off the path and are visible from it as you walk past.