Cairn, Dunnichen, Angus, Scotland.
Posted by: 
creg-ny-baa
N 56° 37.671 W 002° 48.092
30V E 512176 N 6275978
Cairn, erected in 1985 to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the Battle of Nechtansmere.
Waymark Code: WMW2BB
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/30/2017
Views: 0
This specially built cairn is situated at the roadside in the hamlet of Dunnichen in the Angus countryside four miles east of the town of Forfar and close to the village of Letham.
The cairn was unveiled by Professor Leslie Alcock of Glasgow University on May 18th 1985, 1300 years after the Battle of Nechtansmere, which was fought here in 685AD between the Picts and Northumbrians, the Picts gaining an unexpected victory which ended the Northumbrians reign in the north of Scotland.
It is unclear if the battle actually took place in the area with historians pointing out that it could have taken place at Dunachton near Loch Insh in Speyside, or even north of Dunnichen Hill instead of the alleged site under the south side of the hill at Nechtansmere.
Nonetheless the Dunnichen Hill Campaign Group erected the cairn which sits near the roadside of the minor road that runs between Forfar and Letham. Shirley Fergusson designed the plaque which reads:
TO COMMEMORATE THE 1300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF NECHTANSMERE 20 MAY 685AD WHEN THE PICTS, UNDER KING BRUDEI DECISIVELY DEFEATED THE NORTHUMBRIANS UNDER KING ECGFRITH