The Tay region is rich in Archaeological remains, and these testify to an early and continuous settlement of peoples. A description of these peoples (who began to appear in these parts about 3000 B.C.), their habitations, fortifications, customs, etc., is very admirably given in “The Archaeology of Tayside,” written by D. B. Taylor, M.A., F.S.A. Scot.

Not only the prehistoric peoples, who were mainly nomadic shepherds, but also the Romans, the Picts and the Norse invaders have left their mark on our land. This is evident in many ways-in burial mounds, standing-stones, hill-forts, place-names and so on. There is a great wealth of ancient fortifications, and these can be classified as Timber-laced forts, Brochs, Ring-forts or Nuclear-forts. Many are of exceptional interest.
Our early Christian monuments and symbol-stones are also worth studying. It is notable that the symbol-stones are found, with few exceptions, in Eastern Scotland, and mainly north of the Tay, in what was the Pictish area.

A group of these sculptured stones can be seen at Meigle in a small museum specially prepared to display them. Other famous stones can be seen at St. Vigeans and Aberlemno.

Picts’ Houses

Several of these structures, also called weems, earth-houses or souterrains-have been discovered in recent years. Two good examples (almost intact) were excavated at Carlungie and Ardestie (farms near Monifieth). They are well worth seeing.

The purpose of these earth-houses is uncertain, but over fifty of them (on some points unique in their structure) are known to have existed in Angus and East Perthshire.

The Isla and the Tay seem to form the apparent limit of their distribution. At Ardestie, the remains of surface hut-circles can be seen as well as the underground building, and this makes the site doubly interesting.

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