Roman BritainCargill
Roman Fort · Military

Cargill

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 89135
Site type
Fort
Category
Military
Latitude
56.5158
Longitude
-3.3819
Overview

History & context

Cargill is a Roman fort situated on the left bank of the River Isla, near its confluence with the Tay, in eastern Perthshire. It forms part of the Flavian frontier system in Strathmore, almost certainly built during the Agricolan campaigns in northern Britain (c. AD 83–87) and probably abandoned within a few years when Roman forces withdrew from Scotland. The site comprises a fort with an associated annex, and lies in close proximity to the small Roman fortlet of Cargill, the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil, and the watchtowers along the Gask Ridge system.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

Cargill held a strategic position guarding the river crossings of the Isla and Tay, forming part of the chain of garrisons supporting the legionary base at Inchtuthil and policing the glens issuing from the Highland line. Its pairing of a fort and a separate fortlet within a short distance is unusual and suggests a deliberate, layered control of this stretch of the Strathmore corridor.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The fort was identified by Eric Bradley through aerial reconnaissance in 1941 and reconfirmed by cropmark photography in 1977, revealing the ditched circuit of the fort and its annex; very little excavation has been undertaken on the site, and dating rests primarily on morphology and comparison with the well-dated Flavian installations nearby. No substantial finds assemblage from Cargill itself is published in detail.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Cargill?

Cargill is a Roman fort situated on the left bank of the River Isla, near its confluence with the Tay, in eastern Perthshire. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Cargill?

Cargill is classified as a Roman fort — a military site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Cargill?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Victoria? (2.7 km), Pinnata Castra (3.8 km), Untitled (7.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Cargill?

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