This historic marker takes the place of a sign and can be found at the car park and picnic area on the eastern slope of East Lomond, the lower summit of the two Lomond Hills in the Kingdom of Fife in Scotland. Of volcanic origin, the eastern summit once housed a Pictish hillfort and this sign, adjacent to another sign depicting a map of the area, tells its history by the following text:
'One of Fife's largest hillforts stood on the summit of East Lomond Hill for more than 2000 years, watching over the land.
An ancient fortress
You are standing below the site of a once mighty hilltop fortress. It was a tribal gathering place and a centre of royal power dating back to late prehistory, and is called a hillfort.
East Lomond Hill - "hill of the beacon"
The name for this place dates back to medieval times. Earlier records suggest that the site was part of the Pictish Kingdom of Fib. Fib was one of several small kingdoms of the southern Picts to emerge after the Romans left Scotland. Roman historians first mention the Picti, the "painted ones", a northern group of Celtic tribes that spoke a language similar to Welsh. According to Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria writing in 150AD the local tribe were called the Venicones. This is a Celtic name meaning 'the hunting hounds'.
Royal seat and power centre
The fort was a home and political centre for kings and queens. They governed from here, taking tribute in cattle and other produce. The lord's retinue, craftsmen, his bard and warriors would also be housed here. Travelling by horse with their households, kings moved between the forts in their territory throughout the year. The fort may also have been used to stage important ceremonies like king-making rituals.
Finds from the fort
A mould for silver bars, glass beads and a finely carved stone have been found on the hill. In 2014 excavations uncovered buildings, shale jewellery, evidence of iron smithing, wool spinning and grinding flour. A rare horse harness bit was also found. Perhaps this was the riding gear of a mounted Pictish warrior?'
At the top of the sign is a picture of a Pictish stone, the caption reads:
'A carved Pictish symbol stone found at the fort showing the image of a bull, a symbol of wealth and pedigree.'
The main illustration on the sign is a drawing of the fort as it once looked, the text reads as follows:
'A reconstruction of the hillfort when fully developed in about AD700. Turf covered remains of the walls can still be seen today. The site is a protected Scheduled Monument.'
Along the bottom of the sign are key dates, which are:
'4000BC Flint tools dropped by hunters
700BC Local tribe construct fort
AD84 Roman invasion of Scotland
AD600 Pictish kings expand fort
AD1000 Fort is abandoned
2014 Community archaeological excavation at fort'
There are illustrations of finds: spindle whorl, harness bit and shale armlet.
The East Lomond Car Park can be reached up the eastern slope of the hill by a single track road leading from the A912 road near the village of Falkland. The road ends climbs to within half a mile of the summit, ending at a series of communications antenna. The sign is at the beginning of the route up to the summit.