Elginhaugh

Around AD 79-87, Elginhaugh was occupied as a Flavian Roman fort. Its dating is closely linked to associated coin evidence, including a foundation hoard from the principia, or headquarters building.

The fort probably guarded the nearby ford where Dere Street, an important north-south Roman route, crossed the North Esk, a tributary of the River Esk in Lothian. In that role it served as a garrison post during and just after the campaigns of Gnaeus Julius Agricola.

In 1979 the fort was discovered by aerial reconnaissance and took its name from the nearby hamlet of Elginhaugh. Its timber-built character made the later excavation especially important for understanding Roman auxiliary forts.

In 1986-87 Dr William Hanson fully excavated the fort and much of its large annexe. The work showed broad consistency in auxiliary fort plans but also highlighted individual differences in layout and building detail.

One important finding was that horses and men were probably housed together in stable-barracks. The number and arrangement of those buildings suggested the fort did not hold a single standard unit, but was probably occupied by a vexillation of cavalry.

After the garrison departed, the site appears to have continued as a collection centre for animals. The fort interior was cobbled over, two more wells were dug, and ditches were inserted across the annexe to funnel livestock.

The coin hoard has also been debated. Excavators argued that the 45 denarii provided a construction date of AD 77-78, but David Woolliscroft later questioned that use because only 21 coins were securely in a single stacked deposit, with the latest of those dated to AD 71.