Castra Pinnata

Inchtuthil stands on a natural platform above the River Tay near Blairgowrie in Perth and Kinross. Built in AD 82 or 83 as the main base for Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola’s campaign, it was occupied by Legion XX Valeria Victrix. The fortress covered 21.5 hectares and took two or three seasons to construct. A temporary camp nearby sheltered the soldiers through winter while smaller forts were built along nearby glens. These forts, including Cardean and Stracathro, formed a system with watchtowers on the Gask Ridge to control movement into the Highlands. The site is important because it was never built over, so its full layout survives. Excavations by Sir Ian Richmond between 1952 and 1965 revealed a turf rampart with stone facing, six gatehouses and a ditch. The fortress could house 5,400 legionaries plus specialists. Inside were a hospital covering 5,000 square metres, a workshop of 3,500 square metres and 64 barrack buildings. A headquarters building held the legion’s colours, but the planned commander’s house was never built. Visitors find a grassy platform showing the outlines of walls and ditches. The central area marks where the headquarters once stood. Nearby, a large pit once held 875,400 iron nails buried by the Romans before they left. The site overlooks the River Tay and the rolling countryside beyond. It offers a clear view of how the Romans organised a major military base in northern Britain.