Dumyat
Dumyat is the name of this hill, but really it is named after a hillfort, which is located near the top.
The hillfort itself is the small bump on the far left-hand side.
It is associated with a tribe called the ‘Maeatae’. The area they lived in is known as ‘Manau Gododdin’, which includes Clackmannanshire and most of Stirling and Falkirk. The Antonine Wall cuts through these areas and the Maeatae are well known for their rebellion against the Romans during their attempted conquest of Scotland. The hillfort is Iron-Age-style and while it hasn’t been excavated, it is recognised by archaeologists.
Remains of two distinct walls can be seen around the top, one larger wall around the bottom and another wall up at the top. You can see some of the bottom wall here:
And this is part of the wall at the top:
At the flat top, very typical for hillforts, you get a great view across the River Forth, which stretches all the way to Edinburgh.
Across, you can see the top of Dumyat Hill and the rest of the Ochil Range.
It’s a sheer drop towards the cliffs, but the view was stunning.
On the way up to Dumyat Hill we could see the hillfort from another angle.
You can clearly see the two walls here:
Finally, we made it to the top. However, by that point there was a viciously strong and cold wind blowing and we didn’t manage to stick around longer than a few minutes.
On the way back down the sun came out once more to give a lovely display. Here it is illuminating the area around the Wallace Monument, a tower built in memory of Scottish Folk hero William Wallace.
Behind the Wallace Monument you can see Stirling Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots spend the early years of her childhood.
You can find a hillfort tour on my Youtube channel.