Gold jar from Galloway Hoard on display for first time

The Galloway Hoard is "one of the most significant Viking hoards ever found in Scotland"

A gold and crystal jar found in Galloway by a metal detectorist in 2014, is on display to the public for the first time.

The 5cm (2in) high jar is part of the Galloway Hoard - a collection described as one of the most important UK archaeological discoveries of the century.

Decorated with a gold filigree - an intricate metalwork - experts say it resembles a perfume bottle.

And a Latin inscription which translates as "Bishop Hyguald had me made" shows the vase likely had a religious function.

When the jar was found it was wrapped in lengths of linen and placed in a silk-lined purse.

Experts initially used 3D x-ray imaging to view the jar inside its wrapping without risking damaging the treasure.

A Latin inscription is on the base of the jar

The jar was then separated from its wrapping with painstaking care over a series of months.

Due to these textile preservation methods, this is the first time the object has been available for public viewing.

Dr Martin Goldberg from National Museums Scotland said: "The rock crystal jar is one of the highlight objects from the Galloway Hoard.

"The jar was the subject of international attention when we first revealed the inscription, and it's great to be able to put it on display for the first time in Kirkcudbright."

Due to gaps in 9th Century church records, it has not been possible to precisely identify Hyguald, but he was most likely a Northumbrian bishop.

The inscription shows the clearest evidence that the hoard comes from a church or religious community in the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria.

This included Dumfries and Galloway, and stretched all the way from Edinburgh to Sheffield.

The Galloway Hoard was acquired by National Museums Scotland in 2017

The research on the hoard was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, who gave £1m for the three-year project.

It will be on display at Kirkcudbright Galleries until 14 June 2026.