Roman ‘fortlet’ found near Antonine Wall

A ROMAN “fortlet” has been rediscovered near the remains of the Antonine Wall. Public body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) found the lost mini-fort during a geophysical survey in an “unassuming field” near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire. The fortlet was mentioned in 1707 by antiquarian Robert Sibbald, who wrote that he had seen a…

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An academic read covering the Romans in Scotland

Think you know about the earliest Roman invasion in Caledonia? Think again. This mind-boggling study offers an alternative view on what happened in AD 83, presents new findings that are well-argued and researched, and calls into question popular historical beliefs about the Roman campaigns. Author Simon Forder also suggests a new location for the Battle…

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A well-researched look at who the Picts were

The first time I heard about the Picts, the ancient people of the North of Scotland, I was hooked. My dad told me all about them during a trip to visit family in Aberdeen, and my imagination went into overtime, imagining who they were, and where they lived compared to where I was visiting. The…

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Stirling’s secrets are revealed in a new book

Stirling is Scotland’s smallest Royal City, and also one of its newest. But, strangely, it’s also the ancient capital and one of the most important locations in all of Scottish history. On Monday 30 September, Extremis Publishing is releasing a new book by Murray Cook. With full-colour illustrations, Digging into Stirling’s Past: Uncovering the Secrets…

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Treasures from Roman hoard going on show

A stunning new exhibition will open on Saturday 11 May featuring many of the iconic pieces from the spectacular Traprain Treasure, found on Traprain Law 100 years ago. This is the first time this internationally significant Roman silver can be seen in East Lothian since its discovery in 1919. Being shown at the John Gray…

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WINE TO DINE – MARCH 2019 – PHEASANT

Drinks writer Peter Ranscombe selects five wines to go with pheasant, this month’s star ingredient. WITH its bright red wattle and distinctive cockerel-like call, the pheasant is a familiar sight throughout Scotland, waddling across farmers’ fields, woodland edges and roadside verges. Believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans – and certainly common…

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Craftsman Angus has reached the turning point

Angus Clyne, originally from Glenuig in Lochaber, is a man of many talents. Past professions have included fisherman, chef, DJ and busker, but now Angus’ focus is on artistic woodturning from his studio near Pitlochry. Using a lathe to spin the wood, a roughly chainsawed block of wet wood is mounted and spun at a…

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How the Romans tried to keep the Scots out

People have been building boundary walls to keep their enemies out for millennia. In the 3rd century BC work began on the Great Wall of China as a defence from the Mongols. Famous modern day examples include the Berlin Wall, dividing the communist east from our allies in West Germany, and the current West Bank…

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Roman sculpture found in a Scottish river

Recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond in Cramond, near Edinburgh, the Cramond Lioness is a sculpture dating back to Roman times. It portrays a male prisoner being killed by a lioness. It was Robert Graham, a local ferryman, who uncovered the sculpture from the mud of the river. It remains unknown…

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Cairn o’ Claise may be the highest wall in Scotland

Reaching the 3,400ft summit of Cairn o’ Claise is an achievement in itself but for a hardened group of skilled dykers it was all in a day’s work. Eastwards from the Devil’s Elbow, the Grampians rise towards the grassy dome of Glas Maol. From there, a high plateau leads north to the stony crest of…

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