True Extent of Scotland’s Roman War Camps Realised

2 April 2012

A new book just published reveals the true extent of the Roman Empire’s attempts to conquer Scotland - and explores the archaeological legacy left behind. 

Roman Camps in Scotland brings together a full archaeological record of the Empire’s military outposts, which were designed to be the temporary homes and headquarters for conquering legions and armies.

The camps are the least-studied form of Roman monument, but are among the largest features to survive in the landscape to the present day. 

Scotland is home to the largest number of surviving Roman camps in Europe – with a particular concentration in the Borders and the south of the country – indicating that the attempts to conquer and occupy Scotland were much more extensive than previously thought.
 
Author Dr Rebecca Jones, an RCAHMS archaeologist and expert on the Roman frontiers, highlights the sheer number of Roman camps throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK: up to 260 have now been discovered and recorded in Scotland, adding to some 240 in England and Wales.