[ellied]

If you're in Fife I have 10 acres you're more than welcome to wander over - I offered same to another detector guy who has never been - but this land was railway before agri so you would have to set it not to find bits of track as there are a couple I know about already and that would give you a headache

[robert waddell]

ellied if you have track left in the ground you are worth a fortune SCRAP PRICES ARE HIGH

[HappyHippy]

Such a shame you're so far away 
The farmhouse here was built in 1865, but the farm itself pre-dates that by quite a bit I believe.
David Steel (covenanters - sp?) hid from the Red coats on our ground and was found and executed at my neighbours farm, there's rumour that Wallace crossed the land (but I suppose everywhere in Scotland has that claim  )
An elderly local historian reckoned our 'spinny' (to me it's a big clump of old trees) was actually a pagan burial site.
We've 130 acres, mostly planted with forrestry style trees. But there are lots of old woods and open fields too.
If you ever find yourself in the Lesmahagow area (South Lanarkshire), please, please bring your beepy thing and feel free to explore - it would be great to know what (if anything) is lurking down there  My email is [email protected]
Thanks, Karen 

[katie]

Erm...isn't it Elizabeth the First, not Victoria?
Lovely things. I've always wanted to have a metal detector and find bits of history.

[johnmac]

Ooops! Typo! It IS Elizabeth I not Victoria! Well spotted! It's a silver sixpence and dates from 1580 or is it 1581?!? Glad you spotted my error!

Thanks all for the replies.

I'm on the recovery from neck surgery at the moment, but hope to be out 'swinging' (not the Tommy Sheridan sense of the word!) very soon!

I don't do it for the 'treasure' and it's very rare to find something valuable. But, if like me you ate interested in history then that is value enough.... Though it's a bit like the lottery, you just never know!!

I've had quite a few 'good' finds over the last twelve years. My most valuable coin to date is around £150. But like I said, that's not why I do it! Though a gold coin hoard would be nice!!

[clydesdaleclopper]

We are probably a bit far for you (Aberdeenshire) but we have 7 acres of pasture with an old black house that had been derelict for 50 years on the land. It used to form part of the Gordon estate. You are welcome to come and visit if you are up this way at all 

I have to admit to a great interest in this as I used to teach and research in the area of antiquities law.

[Sylvia]

I'm very tempted to buy a detector myself, though I would have to take a grandson to do the digging!

[johnmac]

Thanks for all the replies!

I wish I could get round all of those that have land available. I never thought I'd get so many offers. Thanks to all! In the short term I'll give Emma and Rosemaries land a try and with their permission post pictures of any finds for those that are interested to have a look!

As for those a bit further afield, you never know. I'll keep you in mind and you never know I might be out your way and look you up.

Thanks all.

John.

[johnmac]

Happy hippy and ellied, forgot to add, whilst a bit further away, if I get the chance, depending on how much free time I have over autumn/winter, I will try and look you up!

Sylvia. Detecting can be great fun and kids are normally really into it... Buried treasure and all that!

If you were ever to get into detecting, you need to buy a decent machine, £300+ from a proper metal detecting dealer... Not Argos! If you buy cheap, you'll just find rubbish and get fed up! Once you start making a few finds you can flog some stuff on eBay and upgrade. My current machine cost me £1,000, ouch! I hear you say! But I've found several thousand pounds worth of stuff. Speculate to accumulate and all that!

[johnmac]

A few silver denarii from a 'roman field' that I've been detecting in Perthshire over the last few years. These coins date from Mark Anthony to Gordian III. Roughly 60BC to 300AD.

The field has no known structures, cropmarks or history on record from any date. Just goes to show you what can be lurking in the mud!

[johnmac]

Just to wet the appetite of Emma and Rosemary. You've probably all seen these?!? Found in a field near Blair Drummond, Stirling. No clues what so ever to indicate there was anything there. A guy goes into the field with a metal detector... Beep! Digs up four solid gold bronze age torcs from around 100BC!

Total value... About £1,000,000

Not bad for a days work! 

Oooohhhh you never know!!

[pikilily]

We can dream!
ET x

[doganjo]

When we bought our croft in Aberdeenshire the old man told us that some Roman coins had been dug up in a bit he called 'the quarry' - It's just a big hole in the ground where they dumped vegetation - I still own that bit and am waiting to get planning permission on it.  Perhaps I should get it surveyed first

[pikilily]

Just to whet your appetite John....this may be of more modern history interest. The field just north of the railwayline is in potato at the moment.  It used to be, many many years ago, one of the dumping areas for Dundee. The trains came loaded with the rubbish up the Auchterhouse Newtyle line, then onto the Glamis line, and would stop along this stretch to have the rubbish unloaded. Even walking around the field after harvest you can come accross old crockery etc.

I wonder what else may be lurking there! ....the field doesnt belong to us but i am sure we could get permission...
Emma T

[johnmac]

Emma, sounds good! The more the merrier! I've yet to come across a field with nothing in it, you just never know! One mans junk is another mans .... However that saying goes! ;-)

I was thinking heading out your way with the detector mid August? If that suits you?