Durisdeer Roman Fort & Queensberry Marbles

This Roman fort is a well kept secret because it lies in a quiet valley in an overlooked corner of Dumfriesshire. It is one of the best preserved Roman fortlets in Scotland and the earthworks remain largely undisturbed. Archaeological excavations in 1938 identified that the Fort was occupied during the Antonine period and contained 2 wooden buildings that may have house mounted Roman troops. The purpose of the Fort was to guard a Roman Road that passed through the Lowther Hills travelling from Nithsdale in the west to the Clyde Valley in the east.
The fort consists of an inner rectangle some 32 metres by 18 metres, which is protected by a 9m thick embankment that rises some 4 metres above the outer ditch.
Whilst other forts in low lying areas have often been disturbed by farming or the intrusion of modern roads & buildings, Durisdeer has escaped this and its situation in a quiet valley gifts it an eerie sense of time stood still. A great place to visit to get a sense of the isolation and dangers faced by a Roman soldier in the land of the fearsome Picts.
The hike to this Roman Fort can also be combined with a visit to Durisdeer Church where you can see the "Queensberry Aisle". This is an ornately carved monument to commemorate the 2nd Duke of Queensberry (1662 - 1711) and his wife.
www.secret-scotland.com