ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered new evidence that suggests the tiny Aberdeenshire village of Rhynie was a seat of “Royal” power during the Pictish era. Exavations in the area have revealed a fortified early medieval settlement close to the spot where the Rhynie Man – a six-foot boulder carved with the image of a Pict – was unearthed by a farmer in 1978. It is hoped the find will help to shed light on the Picts and their mysterious rulers, the Kings of Pictland.

Dr Gordon Noble, from Aberdeen University, who worked on the Rhynie dig, alongside archaeologists from Chester University, said the substantially fortified remains were “exceptional” discoveries. He said: “This means that what we thought was a backwater in this part of Britain may well be much more significant and that Rhynie can take its place as an important force in the power politics of early medieval Scotland. We believe it was a high status settlement. That kind of material has only ever turned up on royal or very high status sites elsewhere. The finds indicate it may well have had royal connections or been associated with the early kings of that time period.”