Footprints of the Romans

In 1982 a Roman marching camp was identified from crop marks seen from the air on the south bank of the River Deveron at Burnfield. Subsequently the camp defences were partially traced on the ground and shown to consist of an area of about 24 acres originally surrounded by a shallow ditch approximately 1.44m. x 0.5m. deep.

This camp may have been built by Agricola's forces immediately after or before the battle of Mons Graupius in 83 A.D. Tacitus described how the Picts laid waste to all their crops and houses ahead of the Roman advance - probably including this area if the battle site was at Bennachie near the camp at Logie Durno.

Another camp located at Auchinhove in Grange marks the Romans' route north, and yet another camp at Muiryfold in Grange is thought to date from the time of the later expedition by Septimius Severus.

The Symbol Stones

Around two hundred Pictish stones have been found in Scotland - half in the North East. Of these six Class 1 symbol stones have been found in the Rothiemay area - five in the Donaldson Haugh / Tillytarmont area and one at Redhill. These date from the 7th or 8th centuries AD.

Stone 1 - a goose, disk with 'handle' and mirror symbols
Stone 2 - crescent and V-rod, double disk and Z-rod symbols
Stone 3 - double disk and crescent and V-rod symbols
Stone 4 - an eagle and a pictish beast
Stone 5 - mirror and comb, snake and broken arrow, and semi-circular ornamental symbols
Stone 6 - a rectangular symbol with spiral ornamentation