Romans in Scotland: the Antonine Wall

Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

Romans in Scotland: the Antonine wall and ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’

This week, Jackie goes for a walk at the Antonine Wall and is joined by Dr John Reid to discuss Roman-era Scotland.

The wall, which stretches from Old Kilpatrick on the west coast to near Bo’ness, was around 37 miles long and marked the furthest reach of the Roman Empire in Britain. Using the nation’s rugged features to bolster its defences, the wall was the final outpost in hostile territory.

In their discussion, Jackie and John talk about how Scotland was ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’ – a small, stubbornly resistant nation that saw off a superpower. John also reveals how the brutality of the Romans has been overlooked in recent years, and his theory as to how the Roman invasions impacted the nation of Scotland.