I absolutely love listening to you narrate the history of your country. Your humor and deep diving give it such a sense of humanity. Another excellent video!
@@scotlandunplugged You should do one about king Arthurs castle at Camelon, sits along the Antonine wall, somewhere like a "Dux Bellorum" might have captured. Cabridge have air photos of it from the 70's,80's, under a tesco carpark these days, was more finds fairly recently huge place, had all sorts of stuff being made, perfect strategic postion for the valley.
"That lot over there..." Brilliant! That's why your histories are so much fun to watch! Thanks! The amount of physical labor required to build all these walls, trenches, and forts is astounding! Wow! Good one!
You packed a lot into this one! I'll be surprised if you still have your voice! Great job once again, Robert!!! Hopefully, you didn't injure yourself around those holes!
I knew a little about Hadrian's Wall and the history that surrounds it but now I know so much more! Great video! Loved the footage from above - besides just being beautiful, it really helps to show the scope of the incredible expenditure of time and effort for these structures. Thanks for another awesome post. ❤
This video should be shown in classrooms. You're an amazing speaker showing the history in an immersive way. I love the shot of the ancient fortifications with high tension wires running above it, juxtaposing ancient history to modern.
Actually touching Hadrian’s Wall is in the top three of my bucket list. ❤❤ thank you for this! Your production quality has always been good… But I can see it getting better. Good job!
Another great story 👏...I vaguely remember my parents taking my sister and I to the wall, I must have been only 7 or 8 way too young to appreciate the history behind it so thank you again 👌
I lived on the edge of the Durno camp , 144 acre near the hill fort of Benachie , it was fifteen miles north of the main camp at Kintore , it was surveyed by Prof St Joseph in the early 70s , they found some pottery from the period , he always reckoned it was the camp used before the battle of Mons Graupius which took place on the level ground at the foot of Benachie .
Wow! That was a great history lesson. There was so much information given you really did your research and it was awesome! You did an absolute tremendous job on this one!! Loved it!❤❤❤ Thank you Thank you Thank you from the states....great job!!!
I walked Hadrian's wall in 1973 with a couple of school chums from Surrey. Starting from Newcastle to Carlisle. An ambition accomplished. We took our time with plenty of great pub stops on the way for beer and sandwiches. I would like to do it again, this time on my older aching limbs, expecting to see what has changed. Any tips, anyone?
As always Robert, a fantastic history lesson 👍🏆❤ I only found out a few months back about the roman ruins and museum being there, although I knew about Hadrian Wall and told "Hadrian didn't build it high enough to keep us Scots out"😂 I was 😂 when you said "they tried to big him up" I haven't heard that expression for yonks😂❤
@@scotlandunplugged you know much more than I and can take me to the places you e already researched. Watching on video and being in person are two totally different experiences!!
Throughly enjoyed your vid. Couple of points though, firstly there certainly are Roman marching camps in Scotland more than able to hold 45 to 50 thousand men, never mind 20 thousand (Logie Durno 145 acres, St Leonard's Hill 173 acres). The marching camp furthest north may have been at Portmahomak, Dornock Firth, despite what Canmore says about two Roman signal stations near Durness 🙂 Once again, really enjoyed the vid, thank you.
I love hearing about the history of the country I was born in. I was in primary 6 when we immigrated to the USA for my dad's job. While I had some history of the place it has always interested me in knowing more and you have a fantastic way of tell a story. Any chance you can do a story on Arthur 's Seat? Keep up the good work.
You should add that when the Romans left the Southern Picts came south, the descendants of Coel to the Pennines, of Cunedda to Wales. They spoke common Brythonnic and the greater part of Wales until the 12th century was the North of England and southern Scotland
Outstanding! Now I want to record a version of this with a farm fence between me and my plethora of cousins (whom I love) while I refer to "that lot over there". Alas, I cannae pull off the accent... :)
Great video. Really well explained. One thing that was missed was a mention of Stenhousemuir and the origin of that name being ‘stone house’ which was a Roman triumphal monument (typically cited on or near to a battlefield victory). Lasted until the 1700’s when it was sadly pulled down. So I do believe there was a decisive Roman battlefield victory in this area north of the Antonine Wall. This is likely why the native tribes adapted to guerrilla tactics. In the end there was not enough mineral or societal wealth or a large enough settled population (in order to levy taxes) in the north of Britannia. This is the main reason Rome only ever halfheartedly approached this area. There were always bigger fish to fry. Hadrian’s Wall ended up being as much of a tax border than anything else.
I remember being marched along the road and stopping at a point where our teacher told us this is as far North the Romans marched and turned back. The place is just outside Stepps on the old Cumbernauld road once known as the busiest road in Scotland. Where did our teacher get this information?
Out their butt most likely. Unfortunately many teachers don't fact check things before blurting them out to their class. Then again maybe it was as far north as the Romans got in that part of Scotland but given the famous battle of Mons Graupius is considered to be in the Grampians somewhere they obviously got further north. The actual campaign in the 80s is thought to have followed the east coast north and then along the top almost as far as the Great Glen. The army was kept supplied by the navy. When the army was done some of the ships continued around the coast and proved to the Romans that Britain/Alba was actually an island.
I lived on the edge of the largest marching camp in Scotland , The Durno camp near the Pictish hill fort of Benachie , it covered 144 acres , fifteen miles north of a main camp at Kintore , it was surveyed by Pro St Joseph , didn’t find much , but it was most likely the camp prior to the battle of Mons Graupius at the foot of Benachie .
I look at Bennachie from my lounge window and am familiar with it being a proposed site for the battle, probably the most popular one, but if you read Tacitus' account of the battle carefully you'll see that the Cluny hills are a much better fit. Bennachie is basically too big. There is not a clear break between slope and plain, which is required for the description of the battle to work. The Caledonian charge would have been over a couple of hundred meters at most, and nowhere at Bennachie fits this. Furthermore, Bennachie is not at the furthest point of the line of marching camps whilst Forres is. This might be important because although it is not explicitly stated, the account suggests that the battle took place at the furthest point that the Romans got to. This would be Forres, going on current archaeological knowledge. I strongly recommend visiting both sites and try running down from hill to plain as the Caledonian warriors would have done. It soon becomes clear which site fits best. Finally, the Cluny hills are a superb tactical site, forming a pinch point between hill and coastal marsh, controlling the road to what is now Inverness.
It's such a generic description it could be applied to a huge array of places. Even Nechtansmere's location is debated and that's 600 years closer to our time. Is there any indicator of what the vegetation was like back then? Pollen samples from soil can suggest areas that were forested or farmed, has such work been done where you suggest?
@@damionkeeling3103 It is a pretty vague description but you can narrow the location down a bit to somewhere in the region of one of the Agricolan camps, the line of which is pretty easy to trace. Even so, yes it does leave a wide range of possibilities and my assessment that it's the Cluny Hills is of course far from certain. I don't know of any pollen analysis in the area but even if there was I don't think it can give you precise knowledge of the ground cover in any specific location of that size. As for Nechtansmere, I think academic opinion is now swaying towards it being what is now Loch Insch and the marshy ground south of it. Personally, I think Nechtan's fort was likely where Ruthven Barracks is now and the battle would have occurred near there. Again, it's just an assessment based on the description of the battle, the tactical nature of the locations, and some circumstantial evidence such as Nechtan -> Nachton -> Naughton (The seat of Clan McNaughtons is there).
Romans basically didn’t see an economic reason to expand / remain in Scotland. No mineral wealth, no excess farm goods to tax, lack of large populations to raid for slaves, etc. Wall just made it more efficient to hold the existing lands for Roman colonists.
Rubbish! Scotland was and is full of mineral wealth.and great fertile farmlands .English historians hate to admit that the Picts/Caledonian tribes fought the Romans to a standstill. You don't build two walls and abandon the shortest and most northern one because it's the most 'efficient'. The Romans practised genocide everywhere they met resistance. They attempted it everywhere but failed with the ancestors of present Scotland. Present day Northumbria was a no-man's land. Like the Afghanistan war, the Caledonian tribes waged guerrilla war. Roman gold has been discovered in N.East Scotland indicating Romans trying to bribe the tribes not to keep attacking them. BTW the great 'British' queen Boacedia was a red haired Celt not an anglo saxon.
@@scotlandunplugged you should visit it's very interesting. Also if you go speak to Gary at the castle he's very welcoming. There's a Roman well at the castle.
@@scotlandunplugged there's a day booked up this month to go help clear the bushes and dig around the tappoch broch with an archaeologist. I think it's the 17th. Might be worth getting involved. We've volunteered to help.
There is evidence that Roman troops based on the Antonine Wall had either spent some time in North Africa or were in fact North African. When excavations were carried out on the wall five out of the twelve forts had pottery evidence that the soldiers there was eating cuscus and cuscus is eaten in North Africa.
you imply 'over there' is Scotland and the border when it is actually Northumberland, the Scottish border is approx 60 mile north for most of its length
He knows that. The average YTuber from abroad doesn't. Later on even where I live was variously in Northumbria/Danelaw/Mercia. R. Mersey, boundary river. Liverpool
Given the title I'd have thought you'd mention exactly how far north the northern most marching camps or other evidence is. But othewrise a good overview.
Sounds a lot like how the Pheonecians, never having called themselves that became known as that after. Granted it was the Greeks who named them thus for their Purple Dye and clothing but all the same. The Roman's styled themselves after and thought quite alike to the Greeks. It is likely that the Picti did either paint themselves or were tattooed with blue pigment. And if so they could have fascinating connections to other people who did the same. Though they could have just as likely, independently chosen to do the same things. It's likely however that the Picti were some of the last descendants of the Pre-Indo European Populatuon of Britain which was decimated by Disease and Encroachment and Ethnic Cleansing. Like the Native American "Indian". That is the most likely given their various traditions which not only resemble those of the Pre Indo-European, Anatolia Farmers. But are clearly a growth of. You can see their reflection everywhere else those people's descendants went. From the Tumuli and Standing Stones to any other number of things later given credit to the mixed populations which they then gave rise to, but which had lost or rejected the knowledge and practices of their ancestors. But in some small enclaves.
Excellent as always. However "over there" was the other half of Northumberland (Scotland is 60 miles north of Housesteads and Vindolanda) and in Roman times the "over there" lot was the other half of the Brigantes Kingdom! It might also be worth saying the Wall has never been a border between England and Scotland.
But the Romans tried to split what is now Scotland with Antonine's wall and were driven back by the Picts back to Hadrian's wall. BTW there was no 'England 'until the Anglo Saxons invaded after the Romans left. Scottish kings also subsequently ruled over Northumberland for a period, those events took place much later than the Roman occupation.
Antonine wall is just a minute up the hill from me in Falkirk, the books say that they came up here, ordered the legions to dig a big ditch across the country for 20 years and then decided it wasn't worth the bother and went back to Hadrians, Can you imagine being a legion soldier who had spent 20 years digging a ditch along cold hills and your boss says "Right lads, that's enough, no need to dig all that, nothing up there, lets go south" No wonder a legion went missing up here if that actually happened. Truth is they never got to finish their wall, its literally in my front garden, just a ditch remains for the most part, they dug the big ditch then packed the earth they removed on their side of the wall as a base, later would add wood, then stone like Hadrians, 20 years is all they lasted here and you don't go to the trouble of building a giant wall across the island and trying to build another to keep "nothing" out. Nothing up here, spent about 300 years or so trying to come up and get it. Funny that eh?
Marching camp of strathcathro is not in the right place you have it on the north esk river where in fact its closer to the south esk river . at the end of montrose basin where the romans had a port and harbour and a massive camp on the Brechin road about 3 miles outside montrose .. also there were two other marching champs one at KAIR just outside of laurencekirk AND Balmakewan MARYKIRK just out side montrose .. the last two camps are about 5 miles apart are were occupied at the same time ..
@@scotlandunplugged ok. Got that one confused. She fought with them, then. It's been a really long time since I read about her. I wish I could find that book again. She was one incredible woman.
If there was anything of value like the gold in southern wales or the copper mines around coniston then the Romans would never of left northern Britain….S.P.Q.R. Rules OK…
Not that Far really The Antonine wall was pretty much they're threshold built in 142 AD along the central belt of 🏴 from the firth of Clyde to the Firth of Fourth abandoned in 165 AD because the tribal clans of 🏴 kept attacking the furthest they got was Grampian mountains where they were defeated and and ran back to England no Army has ever conquered Scotland ❤ The Romans tried 3x times and failed. And yes there had been Roman artifacts found in Shetland etc but they never conquered and they're stay was short lived small garrisons were deployed to scout all over Scotland this is why Remains can be found in places
Nice try! North Britain is a Victorian era , colonial re-designation by English/British ruling elite of Scotland. Interestingly, they never called England by the logical definition of South Britain.!
@@seanjoseph8637 Yes. The genetic record shows that the Scots of the West Coast were in Ireland, before becoming named as such. The people of both Scotland and Ireland were all linked by blood before the Romans gave them daft names. The names changed as tribes merged and they became all 'Scots' united as the English and Welsh did also. As I said Northern Britain is a Victorian invented name for a political state which will one day dissolve back into its natural constituent parts of Scotland, Wales and maybe...North and South England.
There was no Scotland in Roman times the Scots were in Ireland, the Picts were Brythonic and the Language they all spoke in the Kingdom of Caledon was Brythonic the other Celts of the Clwyd ( Clyde Grey in English) were in the Kingdoms of Rhagfyr and Bugailyr they were the same as the Picts but spoke similar Brythonic to the Cumbrians, whilst the Picts which comes from the Roman Pictones, spoke the same Celtic as was in the South of Cambria ( Wales) where the Siluriae and Demetiae were the Major tribes as the Romans called them also the Dobunni of Devon and Cornwall spoke a very similar Celtic, all the Tribes of Britain, were actually Celtic Kingdoms and all spoke Brythonic or as the English call it in modern terms Welsh. The Pictones of Western France as the Belgae Dobunni and Demetiae of What became Belgium the North of France to the Pas de Calais the areas of Normandy and Brittany all spoke Brythonic. If you look at place names in Scotland France and Belgium they are of the Brythonic language, this was not a problem for the Belgae or Parisi who were Brythonic. Edin( burgh) Perth Alloa Arbroath Aberdeen Elgin anything with Pen like Pentire or Pencader Firth Forth Fal(Kirk) Glasgow Lanark Ber(wick) Biggar Cam(buslang) Clyde Dunfermline Dee and Dozens more in France Calais Morlais Falais Arras Lille Carentan Caen Brest ( same as the Cymric Bryste) Bristol, Nantes Loire Seine Rhone ( Rhondda Rhein and Ronda) all are the same in Celtic, Rennes Bruges Ypres Liege Aachen Munich are all Celtic. Scots came over in the late 7th early 8th Century from the East of Ireland in an Invasion with the Help of Saxons and Vikings, they were to Divide up the Celtic Kingdoms afer the Romans had departed as far south as Lancashire, with the Picts coming from the North to their Brothers in what is now Wales Gloucester Devon and Cornwall and they were amongst the many who were to go to Brittany, the actual Surname Picton is a rare name for it is virtually only found in South Wales some in Scotland and a number in England, but also in Brittany, The Scotti tribe in Ireland were trading with the Britons of what is now Wales for many Centuries before the Roman Invasion and vice versa, to the South of where the Scotti had their Kingdom around where Dublin ( a Norse name ) is today were Brythonic Tribes who had settled, so the two tribes of Celts Gaels and Britons lived at peace with each other, many Celtic Historians believe that the Cymru of Britain ( y Cymru Prydein ) and the Scotti were actually the same people and were not actually Gaels of the West of Ireland, certainly JRR Tolkien spoke that the Cymru of Britain were much closer to the Celts of Gaul than the Gaels of Ireland who were much closer to the Iberian, certainly the Scotti which was a Roman name given to Traders from Ireland said that they spoke Brythonic. So it is much easier to say that probably the Scotti were Coming home as to say. That is why much of the place names are still Brythonic with some Saxon and Norse, the Gaels certainly moved in to the Western Isles and mixed with the Norse all Celts and the Norse hated the Saxon. many Family names in Scotland can be traced back to Brythonic, Cameron, Campbell Evans and Jones Picton Cromarty and many others. Of Course the Norse is very strong in the Island and Highlands Shetland and Orkney etc. But I can atest that I have more Friends in Scotland and Ireland than I have in England. dioch yn fawr i ti , pob hwyl, prynawn da.
The word barbarian simply refers to those peoples outwith the Roman Empire and does not mean uneducated , ignorant bampots as per the modern use of the word.
I absolutely love listening to you narrate the history of your country. Your humor and deep diving give it such a sense of humanity. Another excellent video!
Thank you! I have to make it funny or I get bored 😂
@@scotlandunpluggedisn't that how history works?? 😅
@@scotlandunplugged You should do one about king Arthurs castle at Camelon, sits along the Antonine wall, somewhere like a "Dux Bellorum" might have captured. Cabridge have air photos of it from the 70's,80's, under a tesco carpark these days, was more finds fairly recently huge place, had all sorts of stuff being made, perfect strategic postion for the valley.
"That lot over there..." Brilliant! That's why your histories are so much fun to watch! Thanks! The amount of physical labor required to build all these walls, trenches, and forts is astounding! Wow! Good one!
Thank you! The level of building is insane. Even the marching camps with their trenches must have required some serious physical effort.
the "other lot over there" were the other half of Brigantes a Kingdom in Northern Britain. The Scottish border at that point is 60 miles north.
You packed a lot into this one! I'll be surprised if you still have your voice! Great job once again, Robert!!! Hopefully, you didn't injure yourself around those holes!
Thank you! I made it out alive this time 😂
Wow! Awesome history! I just love listening to you talking about your country. You make history so interesting.
Thank you. I do enjoy waffling on about it 😂
I knew a little about Hadrian's Wall and the history that surrounds it but now I know so much more! Great video! Loved the footage from above - besides just being beautiful, it really helps to show the scope of the incredible expenditure of time and effort for these structures. Thanks for another awesome post. ❤
Thank you! I love flying the drone when I can, and it’s quiet. It adds another dimension.
I look forward to each new episode. Well done.
Thank you!
This video should be shown in classrooms. You're an amazing speaker showing the history in an immersive way. I love the shot of the ancient fortifications with high tension wires running above it, juxtaposing ancient history to modern.
Came across this 6 months after your post, just commenting cos we share a name that's not that common.
Congrats - again. Best ever - a mosaic beautifully constructed, filmed, narrated, presented.
Thank you, Charles! Hope you’re doing well. 🙂
LOVE all the history! Really appreciate the slightly longer video, too.
Thank you!
Another amazing history lesson, thank you very much. Love Scotland.
It’s not half bad. Thank you 🙂
@@scotlandunpluggedits shite being scottish, we all know it but only some of us can admit it.
Wow, so much history. Good job explaining it!
Thanks, Barb! Hope you’re doing well!
I love how you tell stories and history about Scotland. Thank you for sharing.
Robbie you have done it again great video ,and the views from your drone are amazing where you can see the lines of defence are clear to keep us out.
Thanks, Cameron! It’s amazing what you can see from the air.
Fascinating history lesson. Love your captivating storytelling and humour. Thank you, Robert 🏴
Thank you! Definitely helps when you’ve got Romans to film. 😂 Conveniently, there are some Vikings in Largs on Sunday! 🙂
@@scotlandunplugged Braw! 😃💙
Excellent job!
The drone footage was fantastic.
Thank you. I do love to break out the drone!
another great one Robert! thanks!
Thank you! 🙂
Excellent!!! Looking forward to the next video!!
Thank you!
Great video. You make history so interesting.
Thanks, Alice! Hope you’re doing well 🙂
Actually touching Hadrian’s Wall is in the top three of my bucket list. ❤❤ thank you for this! Your production quality has always been good… But I can see it getting better. Good job!
Thank you. 🙂 The wall is well worth seeing (and touching). The camera can never quite do it justice.
Omg, me too! Set to go there in June
Thanks for another great lesson! Awesome story Robert… 👏🏻💙
Thank you! 🙂
I love your channel! Thanks for another fun lesson!
Thank you 🙂
Exellant clip! very informative.
Thank you!
The Roman time in Scotland is much clearer now! Thanks Robert! K.
Thank you! 🙂
Another great story 👏...I vaguely remember my parents taking my sister and I to the wall, I must have been only 7 or 8 way too young to appreciate the history behind it so thank you again 👌
Thank you!
Another great video, Robert. Thank you for the history lesson. 🙂❤️
Thank you 🙂
I lived on the edge of the Durno camp , 144 acre near the hill fort of Benachie , it was fifteen miles north of the main camp at Kintore , it was surveyed by Prof St Joseph in the early 70s , they found some pottery from the period , he always reckoned it was the camp used before the battle of Mons Graupius which took place on the level ground at the foot of Benachie .
love this channel! I think it is the distinct lack of hooves that makes it special.
😂😂 (I equally love the hooves)
😂
Wow! That was a great history lesson. There was so much information given you really did your research and it was awesome! You did an absolute tremendous job on this one!! Loved it!❤❤❤
Thank you Thank you Thank you from the states....great job!!!
Thank you! I feel like I know a bit more about the Romans now 😂
Brilliant, fascinating and well-researched. Thank you
I walked Hadrian's wall in 1973 with a couple of school chums from Surrey. Starting from Newcastle to Carlisle. An ambition accomplished. We took our time with plenty of great pub stops on the way for beer and sandwiches.
I would like to do it again, this time on my older aching limbs, expecting to see what has changed. Any tips, anyone?
Yeah, don't slip like l did...twice!
Great story Robert. Love listening to you. 😊👍👍
Thank you 🙂
Groovy. Carry on.
😊😊 very interesting in such a casual way, makes one listen more as with Culloden video. Many thanks
Fascinating vid - thanks!
As always Robert, a fantastic history lesson 👍🏆❤ I only found out a few months back about the roman ruins and museum being there, although I knew about Hadrian Wall and told "Hadrian didn't build it high enough to keep us Scots out"😂 I was 😂 when you said "they tried to big him up" I haven't heard that expression for yonks😂❤
Wow this was a great history video
Thank you!
I love your knowledge. When I win the big lottery, I’d like to make the trip to Scotland and hire you as our guide for however long you could do it!!!
Haha. Thank you! I don’t actually have as much knowledge as I’d like. I know a rough story and then go on a research binge 😂
@@scotlandunplugged you know much more than I and can take me to the places you e already researched. Watching on video and being in person are two totally different experiences!!
Well told! ❤
Thank you!
Love this episode. Love the roman history of Scotland and mainly because part of it was out the back of my parent's house in the Antonine wall.
Cheers! Have you seen Scotland Uncovered on TikTok? He did a video on Kirky.
@@scotlandunplugged I'm not down with the kids Mr P. I am not on tick tock. I do what sensible people do and wait for it to appear on Insta
@@scotlandunplugged I just watched it now. Don't think I have ever heard Kirky spoken so well of in all my life
@@andrewmiller4582 I'm sold. Moving there 😂
Throughly enjoyed your vid. Couple of points though, firstly there certainly are Roman marching camps in Scotland more than able to hold 45 to 50 thousand men, never mind 20 thousand (Logie Durno 145 acres, St Leonard's Hill 173 acres). The marching camp furthest north may have been at Portmahomak, Dornock Firth, despite what Canmore says about two Roman signal stations near Durness 🙂 Once again, really enjoyed the vid, thank you.
Nice, thanks!
I love hearing about the history of the country I was born in. I was in primary 6 when we immigrated to the USA for my dad's job. While I had some history of the place it has always interested me in knowing more and you have a fantastic way of tell a story. Any chance you can do a story on Arthur 's Seat? Keep up the good work.
You should add that when the Romans left the Southern Picts came south, the descendants of Coel to the Pennines, of Cunedda to Wales. They spoke common Brythonnic and the greater part of Wales until the 12th century was the North of England and southern Scotland
Outstanding! Now I want to record a version of this with a farm fence between me and my plethora of cousins (whom I love) while I refer to "that lot over there". Alas, I cannae pull off the accent... :)
Haha. It’s easy. Just watch Shrek on repeat for a while.
😂@@scotlandunplugged
I have seen all of this in my dreams ! Wow ! Magnificent!
Great, I loved this. However, I'm English and born north of the wall. Lots of people still think its the border.
Scotland unplugged 👍😎🇺🇸 !
Great video. Really well explained. One thing that was missed was a mention of Stenhousemuir and the origin of that name being ‘stone house’ which was a Roman triumphal monument (typically cited on or near to a battlefield victory). Lasted until the 1700’s when it was sadly pulled down. So I do believe there was a decisive Roman battlefield victory in this area north of the Antonine Wall. This is likely why the native tribes adapted to guerrilla tactics. In the end there was not enough mineral or societal wealth or a large enough settled population (in order to levy taxes) in the north of Britannia. This is the main reason Rome only ever halfheartedly approached this area. There were always bigger fish to fry. Hadrian’s Wall ended up being as much of a tax border than anything else.
I remember being marched along the road and stopping at a point where our teacher told us this is as far North the Romans marched and turned back. The place is just outside Stepps on the old Cumbernauld road once known as the busiest road in Scotland. Where did our teacher get this information?
Out their butt most likely. Unfortunately many teachers don't fact check things before blurting them out to their class. Then again maybe it was as far north as the Romans got in that part of Scotland but given the famous battle of Mons Graupius is considered to be in the Grampians somewhere they obviously got further north. The actual campaign in the 80s is thought to have followed the east coast north and then along the top almost as far as the Great Glen. The army was kept supplied by the navy. When the army was done some of the ships continued around the coast and proved to the Romans that Britain/Alba was actually an island.
Brilliant brogh
I’m from the northeast and yeah, Hadrians wall is amazing... great video and thanks for sharing our history.
Robert, can you do something on Edinburgh as my hubby and myself are thinking of going there next July for our Ruby (40th) wedding anniversary.
Ooft! There’s time yet for a few videos on Edinburgh 🙂
There is a location that matches the description of the battle of Mons Graupius. Grant Park and the Cluny hills at Forres.
I lived on the edge of the largest marching camp in Scotland , The Durno camp near the Pictish hill fort of Benachie , it covered 144 acres , fifteen miles north of a main camp at Kintore , it was surveyed by Pro St Joseph , didn’t find much , but it was most likely the camp prior to the battle of Mons Graupius at the foot of Benachie .
I look at Bennachie from my lounge window and am familiar with it being a proposed site for the battle, probably the most popular one, but if you read Tacitus' account of the battle carefully you'll see that the Cluny hills are a much better fit. Bennachie is basically too big. There is not a clear break between slope and plain, which is required for the description of the battle to work. The Caledonian charge would have been over a couple of hundred meters at most, and nowhere at Bennachie fits this. Furthermore, Bennachie is not at the furthest point of the line of marching camps whilst Forres is. This might be important because although it is not explicitly stated, the account suggests that the battle took place at the furthest point that the Romans got to. This would be Forres, going on current archaeological knowledge. I strongly recommend visiting both sites and try running down from hill to plain as the Caledonian warriors would have done. It soon becomes clear which site fits best. Finally, the Cluny hills are a superb tactical site, forming a pinch point between hill and coastal marsh, controlling the road to what is now Inverness.
It's such a generic description it could be applied to a huge array of places. Even Nechtansmere's location is debated and that's 600 years closer to our time. Is there any indicator of what the vegetation was like back then? Pollen samples from soil can suggest areas that were forested or farmed, has such work been done where you suggest?
@@damionkeeling3103 It is a pretty vague description but you can narrow the location down a bit to somewhere in the region of one of the Agricolan camps, the line of which is pretty easy to trace. Even so, yes it does leave a wide range of possibilities and my assessment that it's the Cluny Hills is of course far from certain. I don't know of any pollen analysis in the area but even if there was I don't think it can give you precise knowledge of the ground cover in any specific location of that size. As for Nechtansmere, I think academic opinion is now swaying towards it being what is now Loch Insch and the marshy ground south of it. Personally, I think Nechtan's fort was likely where Ruthven Barracks is now and the battle would have occurred near there. Again, it's just an assessment based on the description of the battle, the tactical nature of the locations, and some circumstantial evidence such as Nechtan -> Nachton -> Naughton (The seat of Clan McNaughtons is there).
Romans basically didn’t see an economic reason to expand / remain in Scotland. No mineral wealth, no excess farm goods to tax, lack of large populations to raid for slaves, etc. Wall just made it more efficient to hold the existing lands for Roman colonists.
Rubbish! Scotland was and is full of mineral wealth.and great fertile farmlands .English historians hate to admit that the Picts/Caledonian tribes fought the Romans to a standstill. You don't build two walls and abandon the shortest and most northern one because it's the most 'efficient'. The Romans practised genocide everywhere they met resistance. They attempted it everywhere but failed with the ancestors of present Scotland. Present day Northumbria was a no-man's land. Like the Afghanistan war, the Caledonian tribes waged guerrilla war. Roman gold has been discovered in N.East Scotland indicating Romans trying to bribe the tribes not to keep attacking them. BTW the great 'British' queen Boacedia was a red haired Celt not an anglo saxon.
Boudicca also committed genocide.
Really enjoyed your video done great info. Have you ever been to the tappoch broch near torwood castle?
Not yet. That looks interesting though!
@@scotlandunplugged you should visit it's very interesting. Also if you go speak to Gary at the castle he's very welcoming. There's a Roman well at the castle.
Good to know. Thanks for that!@@81bozzaboy
@@scotlandunplugged there's a day booked up this month to go help clear the bushes and dig around the tappoch broch with an archaeologist. I think it's the 17th. Might be worth getting involved. We've volunteered to help.
There is evidence that Roman troops based on the Antonine Wall had either spent some time in North Africa or were in fact North African. When excavations were carried out on the wall five out of the twelve forts had pottery evidence that the soldiers there was eating cuscus and cuscus is eaten in North Africa.
you imply 'over there' is Scotland and the border when it is actually Northumberland, the Scottish border is approx 60 mile north for most of its length
He knows that. The average YTuber from abroad doesn't. Later on even where I live was variously in Northumbria/Danelaw/Mercia. R. Mersey, boundary river. Liverpool
O you take the high woad an' I'll take the low woad... (I'll get my pallium...)
Given the title I'd have thought you'd mention exactly how far north the northern most marching camps or other evidence is. But othewrise a good overview.
great video ]
Sounds a lot like how the Pheonecians, never having called themselves that became known as that after. Granted it was the Greeks who named them thus for their Purple Dye and clothing but all the same. The Roman's styled themselves after and thought quite alike to the Greeks. It is likely that the Picti did either paint themselves or were tattooed with blue pigment. And if so they could have fascinating connections to other people who did the same. Though they could have just as likely, independently chosen to do the same things. It's likely however that the Picti were some of the last descendants of the Pre-Indo European Populatuon of Britain which was decimated by Disease and Encroachment and Ethnic Cleansing. Like the Native American "Indian". That is the most likely given their various traditions which not only resemble those of the Pre Indo-European, Anatolia Farmers. But are clearly a growth of. You can see their reflection everywhere else those people's descendants went. From the Tumuli and Standing Stones to any other number of things later given credit to the mixed populations which they then gave rise to, but which had lost or rejected the knowledge and practices of their ancestors. But in some small enclaves.
There is "Roman Well" in Burghead (Torfnes)
Excellent as always. However "over there" was the other half of Northumberland (Scotland is 60 miles north of Housesteads and Vindolanda) and in Roman times the "over there" lot was the other half of the Brigantes Kingdom! It might also be worth saying the Wall has never been a border between England and Scotland.
But the Romans tried to split what is now Scotland with Antonine's wall and were driven back by the Picts back to Hadrian's wall. BTW there was no 'England 'until the Anglo Saxons invaded after the Romans left. Scottish kings also subsequently ruled over Northumberland for a period, those events took place much later than the Roman occupation.
'Maybe they were depressed and didn't keep up on the maintenance'... said every homeowner.
😂😂😂😂😂
Getting back to the death.. I'm in!!😂😂😂😂
Haha. It’s a feeling I know well! 😂
Before watching, I'd say 1) Antonine's Wall, and 2) Mountains. Now let's see how close I was... 🤔
Have a look at Portsoy and the Moray Coast.
I saw a Roman bath house in Strathclyde Country Park near Motherwell.
The Romans " what in the name of Jupiter is all this bloody rain coming from, lets head back south"🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧
I love the Scottish history.
Thank you! There’s plenty to choose from.
. Great stuff mate, a question, did Antoninus actually visit or reside in Britain?
I don’t think so. It was his governor, Quintus Lollius Urbicus who oversaw the construction of the Antonine Wall.
@@scotlandunpluggedrighto, thanks mate, bloody interesting stuff..I'm enjoying your work and style over here in Australia. Salutations..
Antonine wall is just a minute up the hill from me in Falkirk, the books say that they came up here, ordered the legions to dig a big ditch across the country for 20 years and then decided it wasn't worth the bother and went back to Hadrians, Can you imagine being a legion soldier who had spent 20 years digging a ditch along cold hills and your boss says "Right lads, that's enough, no need to dig all that, nothing up there, lets go south" No wonder a legion went missing up here if that actually happened.
Truth is they never got to finish their wall, its literally in my front garden, just a ditch remains for the most part, they dug the big ditch then packed the earth they removed on their side of the wall as a base, later would add wood, then stone like Hadrians, 20 years is all they lasted here and you don't go to the trouble of building a giant wall across the island and trying to build another to keep "nothing" out.
Nothing up here, spent about 300 years or so trying to come up and get it. Funny that eh?
Midges was their downfall
Did I hear the narrator call Julius Caesar "Emperor"?
I see you’re up the bar hill fort near the village I live in
Great video! Caesar was never an emperor, though. Augustus was the first.
your bits about rough castle is the top/ side of high bonnybridge. the water aswell is called st hellens loch. we hate falkirk
I worked on an oil rig out of Aberdeen one young American boy with 50 scots. I learned to understand
Marching camp of strathcathro is not in the right place you have it on the north esk river where in fact its closer to the south esk river . at the end of montrose basin where the romans had a port and harbour and a massive camp on the Brechin road about 3 miles outside montrose .. also there were two other marching champs one at KAIR just outside of laurencekirk AND Balmakewan MARYKIRK just out side montrose .. the last two camps are about 5 miles apart are were occupied at the same time ..
Aren't there two walls, the one at the border and another further up toward Glasgow-Edinburgh??
Wasn't Boudica the leader of the Triavantes(sp?)?
She was the leader of the Iceni but led a revolt that included neighbouring tribes 🙂
@@scotlandunplugged ok. Got that one confused. She fought with them, then. It's been a really long time since I read about her. I wish I could find that book again. She was one incredible woman.
Antonius returned to Scotland and played for Celtic & Scotland in the 70s & 80s 😂
Was it the legendary weather of Scotland that prevented Roman conquest?
Very true, but that's not what the title says, but I take your point
They Probably got all the way up to the North Sea but found few resources.
All they found was a 'sore face' as we call it in Scotland.
@@lochside7647So you've bought into the myth then? 😂
If there was anything of value like the gold in southern wales or the copper mines around coniston then the Romans would never of left northern Britain….S.P.Q.R. Rules OK…
I love the barbarians. Didn't play by the rules. Must be my relatives😊
😂
As far as Sauchiehall street in Glasgow they took a look around then Legged it outa there never to return
Not that Far really The Antonine wall was pretty much they're threshold built in 142 AD along the central belt of 🏴 from the firth of Clyde to the Firth of Fourth abandoned in 165 AD because the tribal clans of 🏴 kept attacking the furthest they got was Grampian mountains where they were defeated and and ran back to England no Army has ever conquered Scotland ❤ The Romans tried 3x times and failed. And yes there had been Roman artifacts found in Shetland etc but they never conquered and they're stay was short lived small garrisons were deployed to scout all over Scotland this is why Remains can be found in places
Nah!!. It was the midges that beat the Romans. There used to be nets on the top of the wall.
Seriously. Great video.
It wasn't Scotland then, it was North Britain. The Scotti didn't invade until the 4th century AD (I believe).
Nice try! North Britain is a Victorian era , colonial re-designation by English/British ruling elite of Scotland. Interestingly, they never called England by the logical definition of South Britain.!
@@lochside7647 So the Scotti where always there?
In Northern Britain?
@@seanjoseph8637 Yes. The genetic record shows that the Scots of the West Coast were in Ireland, before becoming named as such. The people of both Scotland and Ireland were all linked by blood before the Romans gave them daft names. The names changed as tribes merged and they became all 'Scots' united as the English and Welsh did also. As I said Northern Britain is a Victorian invented name for a political state which will one day dissolve back into its natural constituent parts of Scotland, Wales and maybe...North and South England.
Antonine wall in cumbernald was built by the romans 😊
There was no Scotland in Roman times the Scots were in Ireland, the Picts were Brythonic and the Language they all spoke in the Kingdom of Caledon was Brythonic the other Celts of the Clwyd ( Clyde Grey in English) were in the Kingdoms of Rhagfyr and Bugailyr they were the same as the Picts but spoke similar Brythonic to the Cumbrians, whilst the Picts which comes from the Roman Pictones, spoke the same Celtic as was in the South of Cambria ( Wales) where the Siluriae and Demetiae were the Major tribes as the Romans called them also the Dobunni of Devon and Cornwall spoke a very similar Celtic, all the Tribes of Britain, were actually Celtic Kingdoms and all spoke Brythonic or as the English call it in modern terms Welsh.
The Pictones of Western France as the Belgae Dobunni and Demetiae of What became Belgium the North of France to the Pas de Calais the areas of Normandy and Brittany all spoke Brythonic.
If you look at place names in Scotland France and Belgium they are of the Brythonic language, this was not a problem for the Belgae or Parisi who were Brythonic.
Edin( burgh) Perth Alloa Arbroath Aberdeen Elgin anything with Pen like Pentire or Pencader Firth Forth Fal(Kirk) Glasgow Lanark Ber(wick) Biggar Cam(buslang) Clyde Dunfermline Dee and Dozens more in France Calais Morlais Falais Arras Lille Carentan Caen Brest ( same as the Cymric Bryste) Bristol, Nantes Loire Seine Rhone ( Rhondda Rhein and Ronda) all are the same in Celtic, Rennes Bruges Ypres Liege Aachen Munich are all Celtic.
Scots came over in the late 7th early 8th Century from the East of Ireland in an Invasion with the Help of Saxons and Vikings, they were to Divide up the Celtic Kingdoms afer the Romans had departed as far south as Lancashire, with the Picts coming from the North to their Brothers in what is now Wales Gloucester Devon and Cornwall and they were amongst the many who were to go to Brittany, the actual Surname Picton is a rare name for it is virtually only found in South Wales some in Scotland and a number in England, but also in Brittany,
The Scotti tribe in Ireland were trading with the Britons of what is now Wales for many Centuries before the Roman Invasion and vice versa, to the South of where the Scotti had their Kingdom around where Dublin ( a Norse name ) is today were Brythonic Tribes who had settled, so the two tribes of Celts Gaels and Britons lived at peace with each other, many Celtic Historians believe that the Cymru of Britain ( y Cymru Prydein ) and the Scotti were actually the same people and were not actually Gaels of the West of Ireland, certainly JRR Tolkien spoke that the Cymru of Britain were much closer to the Celts of Gaul than the Gaels of Ireland who were much closer to the Iberian, certainly the Scotti which was a Roman name given to Traders from Ireland said that they spoke Brythonic.
So it is much easier to say that probably the Scotti were Coming home as to say. That is why much of the place names are still Brythonic with some Saxon and Norse, the Gaels certainly moved in to the Western Isles and mixed with the Norse all Celts and the Norse hated the Saxon.
many Family names in Scotland can be traced back to Brythonic, Cameron, Campbell Evans and Jones Picton Cromarty and many others. Of Course the Norse is very strong in the Island and Highlands Shetland and Orkney etc.
But I can atest that I have more Friends in Scotland and Ireland than I have in England.
dioch yn fawr i ti , pob hwyl, prynawn da.
They didn't get anywhere in Scotland as Scotland did not exist until the Scots migrated there.
Ditto for England and the English.
True, but “how far did the romans get in the geographical area we now call Scotland?” Didn’t quite fit. 😂
The people existed. The names were invented by the Romans for the people who resisted them. But we are still here.
also we call them the beef pits. passed doom fae grandparents fae high jig
Anytime someone builds a wall, someone else builds a tunnel. A hole in the ground isn’t always visible even from 50 feet.
Julias ceaser was not an emperor his nephew was
The word barbarian simply refers to those peoples outwith the Roman Empire and does not mean uneducated , ignorant bampots as per the modern use of the word.
4:47; or "government..."
🙄
True 😂
Calgacus is a fictional name. It certainly wasn't a Pictish name.
Och the Romans kept coming into Scotland for Greggs steak bakes pastries and hot drinks.🏴