King Arthur’s Round Table Possibly Located in Scotland

Archeologists surveying the King’s Knot landmark near Stirling Castle in Scotland have discovered a circular feature beneath the site that could explain why folklore links the knot with the legendary Round Table where King Arthur gathered his knights.

Known locally as the ‘cup and saucer,’ the knot comprises a stepped octagonal mound with a smaller mound nearby. Both are set inside square parterres as part of the castle’s royal geometrical gardens that were constructed for Charles I in the 17th century.

Together with the Stirling Local History Society (SLHS), archeologists at Glasgow University used remote-sensing geophysics as part of a non-invasive survey to probe the ground down to one meter below the King’s Knot.

They found the remains of a round ditch and other earthworks lying beneath, which are older than the visible earthworks.

"The finds show that the present mound was created on an older site and throws new light on a tradition that King Arthur’s Round Table was located in this vicinity," said SLHS chairman John Harrison, according to UK newspaper the Telegraph.

"Of course, we cannot say that King Arthur was there, but the feature which surrounds the core of the Knot could explain the stories and beliefs that people held," he added.

For more than six centuries, writers have associated the knot with the legend of King Arthur. For example, French chronicler Jean Froissart visited the castle in 1365, and was told that Stirling had been Camelot and the mound the Round Table.

This claim was reinforced by John Barbour’s circa 1377 poem which mentions: "… And benewth the caftell went thai fone, rycht by the Round Table away …"

Similarly, William of Worcester’s 15th century "Itinerarium" states: "Rex Arthurus custodiebat le round table in castro de Styrlyng aliter Snowdon West Castle," which means, "King Arthur kept the round table in Stirling Castle, otherwise called Snowdon West Castle."

It is also possible that the King’s Knot may have been from the Middle Ages or a Roman fort.

"The area around Stirling Castle holds some of the finest medieval landscapes in Europe," archeologist Stephen Digney told the Telegraph. "This investigation is an exciting first step in a serious effort to explore, explain and interpret them."

"The results so far suggest that Scotland’s monarchs integrated an ancient feature into their garden, something we know happened in other countries too."

The next research phase will include a ground-penetrating radar survey to reveal further insights into the landmark’s history.