Forteviot : A Pictish and Scottish Royal Centre

The royal centre of Forteviot in Strathearn, Perthshire is one of the most famous early medieval sites in Scotland. It has traditionally been regarded as a royal capital, first of the powerful Pictish kingdom of Fortriu and then of the early Scottish Kings. But the royal centre is poorly understood. Much of it had disappeared by the early nineteenth century, swept away by the Water of May, leaving only fragmentary sculpture. The function, date and iconography of the magnificent sculptured arch, discovered in the river bed in 1836, have until now remained obscure.

This first full-scale study of the famous site throws new light on Pictish kingship and the Church, enabling one of the most powerful Pictish kings, Unuist son of Uurguist, to emerge from the shadows of historical obscurity. Aitchison achieves this by drawing on a wide range of evidence including archaeology, topography, architecture and liturgy and completes his comprehensive guide with details about visiting Forteviot to see the arch.