Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall is a Roman frontier earth-and-stone barrier across central Scotland, begun around AD 142 on the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius. It extended roughly 63 kilometres from the Firth of Forth in the east to the Firth of Clyde in the west.

Built as a turf rampart on a stone foundation with a wide ditch to the north, the wall was garrisoned by forts and fortlets and was intended to mark the northernmost permanent boundary of Roman-controlled Britain for a period in the 2nd century. It was occupied for only a few decades before Roman forces withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall further south.

Archaeological remains of forts, ramparts and ditches survive at several locations such as Rough Castle, Bar Hill and Castlecary and are visible as earthworks or reconstructed features along public footpaths. The Antonine Wall is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

The line runs across the Central Belt of Scotland, north of Falkirk and between the Firths of Forth and Clyde, easily reached from nearby towns and from Glasgow and Edinburgh by regional roads and public transport.

• Length and date: The Antonine Wall stretches for about 63 kilometres across central Scotland and was constructed in the mid-2nd century AD under Emperor Antoninus Pius.

What to See #

• Rough Castle Fort: Rough Castle is one of the best-preserved fort remains along the wall, with visible turf ramparts and fragments of stone foundations that illustrate Roman military layout.
• Bar Hill and Castlecary forts: Bar Hill and Castlecary are surviving fort sites with archaeological remains and interpretation panels along the line of the wall.