Thomshill

Thomshill lies six kilometres south of Elgin in Moray, on a low ridge seventy-two metres above sea level. The site covers about three hectares and takes the form of a rectangular enclosure with rounded corners, surrounded by a broad ditch. Aerial photographs in the 1980s showed cropmarks where the ditch once stood, though ploughing has erased all visible traces today. The enclosure is thought to be a Roman military work built after Agricola’s victory at Mons Graupius in AD 84. Excavators found a V-shaped ditch up to five metres wide, with a turf revetment on its inner edge and a series of post-holes along the southern side. Two earlier ditches beneath the main enclosure suggest an earlier phase of occupation, though no dating evidence has been recovered. Visitors walk over the ploughed field where the ditch once ran, imagining the turf rampart that stood there. The site overlooks a dry river valley where two whisky distilleries operate nearby. From the ridge there are wide views across Moray to the distant hills, a quiet place where the past is read only in the soil.