Roman BritainStrageath
Roman Fort · Military

Strageath

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 89293
Site type
Fort
Category
Military
Latitude
56.3411
Longitude
-3.7827
Overview

History & context

Strageath was a Roman auxiliary fort on the Gask Ridge frontier in Perthshire, situated on the south bank of the River Earn where the road from Ardoch to Bertha crossed the river. It saw three distinct periods of occupation: an initial Flavian/Agricolan phase (c. AD 80s), reoccupation under the Antonine advance (c. AD 140s–early 160s), and a second Antonine phase, making it one of the few Scottish forts demonstrably held during both northern advances.

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

Significance

Historical significance

Strageath was a key garrison post on the Gask system — generally regarded as the earliest Roman land frontier in the empire — controlling movement along the Earn valley and linking the watchtower line between Ardoch and Bertha. Its repeated reoccupation underscores its strategic value as a river crossing and road junction on the Highland frontier.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Extensive excavations by Frere and Wilkes (1973–86) revealed the fort's defences, gates, principia, barracks, and granaries, and clearly distinguished the Flavian and Antonine structural sequences, with evidence for deliberate demolition between phases. Finds included military equipment, coins, and pottery confirming the dating, and the site remains one of the most thoroughly published auxiliary forts in Roman Scotland.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Strageath?

Strageath was a Roman auxiliary fort on the Gask Ridge frontier in Perthshire, situated on the south bank of the River Earn where the road from Ardoch to Bertha crossed the river. 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 Strageath?

Strageath 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 Strageath?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Kaims Castle (6.3 km), Muir O' Fauld (8.3 km), Alauna (10 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 Strageath?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

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