Aerial photographs revealed a small Roman military site beside the road between Ardoch and Doune. Glenbank was a Roman fortlet, a small defended military post, associated with the Gask Ridge in Scotland.
The site matters because it marks the southern end of the known Gask fortifications. Confirmed by geophysics and excavations after its 1983 discovery, Glenbank shows how small installations connected major forts along Roman roads.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
The name
A fortlet is a small fort, usually smaller than a full fort but still part of a defended military network.
History
Glenbank was discovered from aerial photography by G. S. Maxwell in 1983.
The site was confirmed by geophysics and excavations in 1984 and 1999.
It lies beside the Roman road linking the forts at Ardoch and Doune.
Glenbank is currently the most southerly of the known Gask fortifications.
It was probably built around AD 70 to 80.
The site seems to have been deliberately demolished by the Romans when they abandoned it.
People
-
G. S. Maxwell
Discovered the site from aerial photography in 1983.
What to look for
-
Roadside military post
The fortlet stood beside the Roman road between Ardoch and Doune.
-
Aerial-discovery site
Its identification from the air suggests that cropmarks and survey evidence are central to understanding it.
-
Gask Ridge edge
Glenbank is important as the southern known end of the Gask fortification line.
-
Deliberate demolition
The source suggests the Romans intentionally demolished the site when leaving.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 56.2291°N · 3.9176°W
- Access
- Open access
- Terrain
- Moderate walking
Opening & admission
- Roman fortlet site near the A9 and Allan Water.
- The source does not confirm visible remains or public access.
Nearby places
Building or ruin · Medieval
Dunblane Cathedral
Stirling
A largely thirteenth-century cathedral whose ruined nave was rescued and re-roofed after three centuries of decay, it preserves both medieval fabri…
Questions people ask
- What was Glenbank?
- It was a Roman fortlet associated with the Gask Ridge in Scotland.
- What is a fortlet?
- A fortlet is a small defended military post, smaller than a full fort.
- How was Glenbank discovered?
- G. S. Maxwell discovered it from aerial photography in 1983.
- How was the site confirmed?
- Geophysics and excavations in 1984 and 1999 confirmed the site.
- Why is Glenbank significant on the Gask Ridge?
- It is currently the most southerly of the known Gask fortifications.
Sources
Explore more: Fortified places · Roman · Perth and Kinross
The Ancient Codex, in your pocket
Get the Pocket Codex app
Carry the directory with you — Glenbank and thousands of ancient places across Britain and Ireland, offline, wherever you roam.