Top Roman and Iron Age Sites

Driving

Archaelogical sites from the Roman and Iron Age are scattered like pearls across the South of Scotland.

The rolling hills of the Southern Uplands provided ideal sites for Iron Age hill forts while the easily accessible harbours of the south western coast provided landing points for sea voyaging travellers. The Romans made their most northern base nestled in the shadow of the Eildon Hills near Melrose and archaelogists continue to make discoveries about our past from many of these sites.
We invite you to travel back through time and visit these sites, enjoying the stunning beauty of the landscapes and coast lines, seeing the world through the eyes of these early residents. From the Roman's Trimontium Fort to the encampments along the Esk Valley; from the sites dotted down the Machars Peninsula to those look out forts on the Rhins of Galloway, here is the history of Scotland, embedded in the very landscape, remanents of those who once inhabited these lands.

Choose a few of your favourite sites for a weekend of exploration or embark on a more serious adventure and tick them off your list one by one. However you decide to explore these remarkable testimonies to a time gone by, we are sure you won't be disappointed. There are also routes to guide you around the Esk Valley, the Machars and the Rhins of Galloway in addition to this one linking the Top Sites.

Go prepared for walking in the outdoors over rough terrain with adequate footwear and supplies and appropriate detailed maps and compass. Specific GPS coordinates and what three words are given in some cases where the sites are within a larger postcode. Phone signals are not always reliable so please ensure you have a back up.

Downloads:

Top Roman and Iron Age Sites.gpx

Our best efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of data, however the data and geographic information contained along route lines and on maps should be used for informational purposes only.