'˜Vikings' take fight over treasure hoard to Holyrood

A group of 'Viking' campaigners have taken their fight to the Scottish Parliament in order to keep a 1,000-year-old treasure hoard on display in the south of the country.

Participants dressed as Vikings burn their viking galley ship at the culmination of the annual Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Picture: Getty

Hundreds of Viking objects - including coins, jewellery and crosses - were discovered in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014 and are said to provide an “important window on the tenth century”.

With a panel set to recommend where the items should be displayed, the Galloway Viking Hoard (GVH) group delivered a 5,000-strong petition to the Scottish Government

Participants dressed as Vikings burn their viking galley ship at the culmination of the annual Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Picture: Getty

The petition urges ministers to support a dedicated centre in Kirkcudbright rather than move the hoard to National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh.

In addition, a letter backing the campaign has been signed by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Dame Barbara Kelly and former Tory MSP Sir Alex Fergusson.

GVH campaign chair Cathy Agnew said: “The message from Galloway, Scotland and around the world is very clear - the hoard was buried in Galloway for safekeeping 1,000 years ago and that is where its home should be.

“We have huge support from the general public, academics, politicians of all parties and many others. It would be a travesty if their voices were ignored.

Participants dressed as Vikings burn their viking galley ship at the culmination of the annual Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Picture: Getty

“If the hoard goes to the enormous national museum in Edinburgh, already packed with treasures, it will completely undermine the spirit of 2017 as Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.”