Pictish

He added: "There are very few Pictish rings which have ever been discovered and those we do know about usually come from hoards which were placed in the ground deliberately for safekeeping in some way."

It is thought the settlement was a significant seat of power within the Pictish kingdom between AD500 and AD1000.

A "remarkable" Pictish ring thought to be at least 1,000 years old has been discovered by a volunteer on a dig in Moray.

"We also have outstanding carved Pictish crosses, which are being interpreted in new ways for the first time."

Mainland’s archaeological gems include Jarlshof, which includes ruins from the Bronze, Iron, Pictish and Viking eras, and, just offshore, the some 2,000-year-old Broch of Mousa.