Fendoch is a Flavian auxiliary fort situated at the mouth of the Sma' Glen in Perthshire, guarding the entrance to a major pass through the Highland line. Built c. AD 83–87 as part of the Agricolan glen-blocker system associated with the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil, it was occupied only briefly before being deliberately dismantled during the Roman withdrawal from Scotland around AD 87.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Fendoch is one of the classic "glen-blocker" forts — a chain of installations (with Drumquhassle, Malling, Bochastle, Dalginross and others) positioned at the mouths of Highland glens to monitor and control movement of native peoples into and out of the uplands following Agricola's campaigns. It is particularly important as the type-site for the internal planning of a Flavian auxiliary cohort fort.
Sir Ian Richmond's 1936–38 excavations revealed an unusually complete plan of timber internal buildings within the roughly 4.2-acre fort, including ten barrack blocks, a hospital (valetudinarium), granaries, headquarters and commander's house, interpreted as garrisoned by a cohors milliaria peditata (nominally 1,000 infantry). A timber signal-tower on the ridge above (Fendoch watchtower) was associated with the fort, and the absence of significant rebuilding phases confirmed its short single occupation
Fendoch is a Flavian auxiliary fort situated at the mouth of the Sma' Glen in Perthshire, guarding the entrance to a major pass through the Highland line. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Fendoch 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.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Sma' Glen Signal Station (4.3 km), Muir O' Fauld (9.8 km), Strageath (11.7 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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