of Scotland
In AD 78 Gnaeus Julius Agricola became governor of Britain. After a first campaign in Wales his attention was focused to the north. Roman troops entered Lowland Scotland and by AD 80 the river Tay north of the Forth-Clyde isthmus was reached. The historian Tacitus published his works from AD 98 - AD 115 and provided us with the most valuable literary record on Roman Britain, since he wrote a biography about Agricola his father-in-law. He mentioned that even Agricola recognized the advantages of a frontier line along the Forth-Clyde isthmus. Thus for a lot of forts along the later Antonine Wall a Flavian predecessor was postulated, but only a few of them provide really convincing evidence for an Agricolan praesidia. So far seven forts (Brochan Hill, Cadder, Mollins, Castlecary, Camelon, Mumrills, Elginhaugh) can be attributed to the Flavian period and the close distances between Castlecary, Camelon and Mumrills may indicate a Flavian frontier line from Forth to Clyde. However, the Roman troops penetrated even further north and after Agricola's 4th campaign in AD 81 outpost forts may have been established north of the Forth-Clyde isthmus. The forts Camelon, Ardoch, Strageath, Bertha and Cargill were located along a road blocking the eastern part of the isthmus against enemy action from the west and north. The early foundation of these forts is indicated by the structural evidence for two Flavian periods provided by those sites.
Fort at Strageath
| In AD 84 Agricola won the famous battle at Mons Graupius (still not located), but was recalled soon after this victory. Probably after AD 84 an outer line of forts and the legionary fortress of Inchtuthil were built. These forts were located along glens that provided access to the Highlands. Thus they are usually known as glen-blocking forts (Fendoch, Dalginross, Bochastle, Malling, Drumquassle) that had to control movement in and out of the Highlands. The location of the legionary fortress suggests that further advance was planned and maybe the outer line of forts should provide spring-boards for the conquest of the Highlands. But since the line of the glen-blocking forts was not even linked by a road and no temporary camps were found in any of the blocked glens their duty to control movement seems more likely. Even the signal tower located next to the fort at Fendoch was obviously signalling back to the glen-blocking fort and not to an unknown fort within the glen. Anyway, these installations along the glens and the fortress of Inchtuthil were just occupied for a very short time. The legionary fortress was not finished before it was abandoned. Coin evidence (bronze mint of Domitian) provides us with a terminus post quem of AD 86, but in fact that evidence suggests that the date of abandonment was AD 86 or 87 (in AD 87 more coins were issued, but not found in these forts). The reasons for that withdrawel were caused by events elsewhere in the Roman | |
 Fendoch from the nearby watchtower |
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 Fendoch |
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| Empire. The legio II adiutrix moved from Britain to face troubles along the danube. With only three legions the total conquest of Roman Britain could not be achieved, retreat caused by shortage of manpower was the only possibility. | |
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The Antonine Wall | Hadrian's Wall | Raetien Limes |  |