Valley of the Sun God
Glen Lyon is one of the most remote locations in Scotland, but this is purely because modern roads have bypassed it. Ancient paths show that the Glen was well connected to outlying areas. Radiating from Glen Lyon is a line of conventional hill forts that ran eastwards to Dunnottar, near Stonehaven, while another, more widely spaced, ran north-west to the Great Glen and beyond, and a third swings south-east to Stirling.
Carbon dating of charcoal remains in the Glen believed to be linked to the Picts has indicated a date of the 7th to 10th century AD, which times perfectly with the Pictish rule over the area, which lasted until 847 AD. Some researchers believe that Glen Lyon was a stronghold of the Picts and that Glen Lyon, rather than Scone, might have been the centre of their kingdom. Like so many other things, it seems that kingdom has moved away from the Glen, towards the east and Fife.
The name Lyon comes from Lugdunum, after Lugh, the Celtic sun god. Hence Glen Lyon is the Valley of the Sun God. If Glen Lyon was indeed the centre of the kingdom, it could explain why Glen Lyon was thus named: the sun god was normally associated with the king.
Valley of the Sun God
Glen Lyon is one of the most remote locations in Scotland, but this is purely because modern roads have bypassed it. Ancient paths show that the Glen was well connected to outlying areas. Radiating from Glen Lyon is a line of conventional hill forts that ran eastwards to Dunnottar, near Stonehaven, while another, more widely spaced, ran north-west to the Great Glen and beyond, and a third swings south-east to Stirling.
Carbon dating of charcoal remains in the Glen believed to be linked to the Picts has indicated a date of the 7th to 10th century AD, which times perfectly with the Pictish rule over the area, which lasted until 847 AD. Some researchers believe that Glen Lyon was a stronghold of the Picts and that Glen Lyon, rather than Scone, might have been the centre of their kingdom. Like so many other things, it seems that kingdom has moved away from the Glen, towards the east and Fife.
The name Lyon comes from Lugdunum, after Lugh, the Celtic sun god. Hence Glen Lyon is the Valley of the Sun God. If Glen Lyon was indeed the centre of the kingdom, it could explain why Glen Lyon was thus named: the sun god was normally associated with the king.