We have just completed a series of lectures on Trusty’s Hill across the country.

Last night I gave the Bill Gill Memorial Lecture in Stranraer Library to 25 members of the Wigtownshire Antiquarian and Natural History Society. They gave me a very warm welcome and judging from the quality and number of questions that followed my talk, seemed to have been very much engaged by the emerging archaeological results from Trusty’s Hill. Almost everyone took away the few Discover Dark Age Galloway Leaflets we still have left.

Last week I gave a similar talk to 70+ members of the Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society at Ayr Town Hall. Again I received a very warm welcome and a great number of thoughtful questions on vitrified forts, Dark Age royal strongholds and the kingdom of Rheged. Again, many of those attending took away copies of the Discover Dark Age Galloway Leaflets, that not only offers a guide to Trusty’s Hill but many of the other Dark Age sites in Galloway that form part of the archaeological context of Trusty’s Hill. Indeed there was some talk amongst members about organising an outing next year to Trusty’s Hill. No doubt some of the local trained guides at Gatehouse will be willing and able to help.

Prior to this, Chris gave a lecture on the archaeological context of the Pictish Carved Stone at Trusty’s Hill to 20+ people attending the Pictish Arts Society’s 2013 conference in Perth. Again his talk seemed to have prompted some questions, though perhaps not as much debate as we expected.