Norman's Law is a prominent hill at the far eastern end of the
Ochil Fault
The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment in Scotland.
North of the fault, Devonian lava flows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. These are in p ...
, Scotland. It sits above the south bank of the
River Tay
The River Tay (, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing' David Ross, ''Scottish Place-names'', p. 209. Birlinn Ltd., Edinburgh, 2001.) is the longest river in Sc ...
, around four miles north west of
Cupar
Cupar ( ; ) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fife, and the ...
.
Around the summit cairn of Norman's Law are the remains of an
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
hill fort
A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...
and settlement, owing to the hill's commanding views over the surrounding countryside and the defensive advantage provided by the steep slopes surrounding the summit. The hill fort is a designated
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
.
The summit of Norman's Law is easily accessible; the shortest ascent is from NO310209, about a mile west of the village of Brunton; a waymarked path to the summit starts in the village of
Luthrie NO331196. There are extensive views of
Central Scotland and the
Grampian Mountains
The Grampian Mountains () is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Grampian range extends northeast to so ...
. On a clear day, one can see as far as
Lochnagar
Lochnagar or is a mountain in the Mounth, in the Grampian Mountains, Grampians of Scotland. It is about south of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, River Dee near Balmoral Castle, Balmoral. It is a popular hill with hillwalking, hillwalkers, and i ...
to the north,
Ben More (Crianlarich)
Ben More (, "the great mountain") is a mountain in the Breadalbane region of the southern Scottish Highlands, near Crianlarich. Rising to , it is a Munro and is the highest of the so-called Crianlarich Hills to the south-east of the village. ...
to the west and the
Moorfoot Hills
The Moorfoot Hills are a range of hills south of Edinburgh in east central Scotland, one of the ranges which collectively form the Southern Uplands.
Etymology
The name ''Moorfoot'' was recorded as ''Morthwait'' in 1142. The second element is ...
to the south.
The Norman's Law hill race is held annually by Fife AC and begins at the nearby village of Luthrie.
References
External links
Fife ACComputer-generated virtual panorama from Norman's LawFife Place-name Data :: Norman’s Law
{{coord, 56.3690, N, 3.1267, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Marilyns of Scotland
Fife
Hills of Fife
Hillforts in Scotland
Former populated places in Scotland
Archaeological sites in Fife
Scheduled monuments in Fife