Muiryfold

Muiryfold
Alternative name(s)	Grange
Type	Marching camp
Location
Coordinates	57°33′23″N 2°51′22″W / 57.5563°N 2.8562°W
Site notes
Condition	Cropmark
Excavation dates	1959
Archaeologists	Kenneth St Joseph

The Muiryfold and the Roman fort of Cawdor are located near Inverness. They were considered between the northernmost places of Roman conquest and presence in Britannia, until the recent discovery of Roman military presence at Tarradale & Portmahomack.

Muiryfold was one of the Roman fortifications built by Septimius Severus in northern Caledonia (modern-day Scotland). The site is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Keith in Moray.

Discovery and excavation

The site was discovered by aerial photography in 1959, and two small trenches were excavated across the north west and south east sides by Kenneth St Joseph the same year.^[1]

The camp was almost rectangular, measuring 784 metres (2,572 ft) from north west to south east, and 522 metres (1,713 ft) from north east to south west, covering an area of just over 41 hectares (100 acres).^[1]

History

In 210 AD, the Emperor Septimius Severus made an attempt to conquer all Caledonia reaching the Moray Firth. He created a huge marching camp at Muiryfold,^[2] near the one created in 84 AD by Agricola at Auchinhove.^[3]

The possibility that Agricola and Septimius Severus reached the northernmost area of Scotland can be confirmed by discoveries north of Inverness, specifically at Portmahomack on the Dornoch Firth,^[4] and Tarradale on the north shore of the Beauly Firth.^[5]

The Roman legions in the first and second century established a chain of very large forts at Ardoch, Strageath, Inchtuthil, Battledykes, Stracathro and Raedykes,^[6] taking the Elsick Mounth on the way to Normandykes before going north to Glenmailen, Bellie, Balnageith and Cawdor.

Notes

1. Moray SMR.
2. Aerial photos of Muiryfold
3. RCAHMS: Muiryfold
4. RCAHMS: Port A'Chaistell
5. Google Book: Tarradale, a possible roman camp. p. 176
6. The Roman Gask Project

Bibliography

• "Muiryfold, Grange". Moray Sites and Monuments Record. Moray Council. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
• Frere, S. Britannia: a History of roman Britain. Londra, 1998. ISBN 0-7126-5027-X
• Hanson, W S (1980) The first Roman occupation of Scotland, in Hanson, W S and Keppie, L J F Roman Frontier studies 1979: Papers presented to the 12th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, Brit Archaeol Rep, International, vol.S71, 1 Oxford 15-43
• Moffat, Alistair. Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History. Thames & Hudson. Londra, 2005. ISBN 0-500-05133-X
• St Joseph, J K (1961) Air reconnaissance in Britain, 1958-60, J Roman Stud, vol.51 123

See also

• Cawdor (Roman Fort)
• Deers Den
• Inchtuthil
• Pennymuir Roman camps
• Normandykes
• Ythan Wells
• Gask Ridge