Viking Hoard Unearthed In Scotland Comes Back To Galloway

In 2014 a haul of Viking-era treasure was found in a field in Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: an Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) by a metal detectorist Derek McLennanin. It was the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Scotland. Since the find detailed conservation work has been carried out on the collection of over 100 artefacts by the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann). Now the collection has returned to Galloway and is on display at  Kirkcudbright Galleries until July 2022. Kirkcudbright Galleries is located St. Mary Street in the town of Kirkcudbright (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Chùithbeirt) in southwest Scotland.

Galloway has strong Norse-Gael connections. At one time it was known as the Kingdom of Galloway. A Kingdom which at periods covered a much larger area than the present one that we know as Galloway. As such, for a significant period it was associated with the other Norse-Gael lands of the Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: Innse Gall), Isle of Man (Manx Gaelic: Mannin), Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. It’s is thought that the first recorded King of Galloway was Suibne mac Cináeda (whose name is recorded in the Annals of Ulster (entries in the Annals cover the period 431 AD to 1540 AD). Galloway as a separate identifiable kingdom maintained a level of independent existence  until it’s incorporation into the Kingdom of Scotland during the reign of King Alexander III of Scotland (4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286).

Image above: Galloway Viking Hoard image courtesy of National Museum of Scotland.

Image below: Item of Galloway Hoard before and after restoration. Image courtesy of National Museum of Scotland