Drumelzier, in the Scottish Borders, has long been associated with the legendary figure of Merlin, reputedly imprisoned there by a Dark Age king and buried nearby on the banks of the River Tweed and the local Powsail Burn. This, according to the Vita Merlini Sylvestris – The Life of Merlin of the Forest – a medieval manuscript held in the British Library.

In 2022, a team of volunteers from across Scotland, led by GUARD Archaeology, set out to investigate the archaeological roots of this local legend. Their findings, recently published, reveal the startling survival of early medieval cultural heritage in southern Scotland.

A geophysical survey identified an archaeological feature resembling a grave near the reputed site of Merlin’s Grave at Drumelzier.

Unlike the classic depiction of Merlin as the wise and respected adviser to King Arthur, the Drumelzier legend portrays a much darker figure: a rather pitiful man prone to nonsensical riddles and bewildering prophecies, kept prisoner by a petty tyrant of a forgotten kingdom, and ultimately meeting a gruesome death, a victim of royal intrigue.