Keithock Temporary Camp

Marching or Temporary Camp

The complete outline of this camp is known, its SE side now overlaid by the main road to Aberdeen. There are five known gateways, all protected by titulum outworks; one in the middle of both the shorter NW and SE sides, the former off-set slighty to the north, the titulus of the latter visible in fields to the immediate south of the road; two more gateways are visible in the longer NE side, one set about 750 ft. from the E angle, the other just over 400 feet from the N angle; a fifth gate lies in the long SW side, roughly opposite the southern-most gateway in the NE side, there is no trace of a gap in the defences to mark a second gateway in this side. East Mains farm lies in the S corner-angle, and the minor road to Edzell cuts across the camp’s W angle.
Lying just NW of the larger camp is a small rectangular enclosure discovered in 1949 and measuring about 450 ft. by at least 300 ft., of which three sides and two corner-angles are recorded, including a centrally-placed gateway in the shorter NW side. It is now thought that this small ‘camp’ is actually an annexe to the larger Camp #1.

References for Keithock Camp

  • Topography of Roman Scotland North of the Antonine Wall by O.G.S. Crawford (Cambridge 1949) pp.100-102 & fig.26;
  • Air Reconnaissance of North Britain by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xli (1951) pp.64/5;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1955-7 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xlviii (1958) p.92;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1958-1960 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. li (1961) p.123;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1961-64 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lv (1965) p.83.

Map References for Keithock Camp

NGRef: NO6163 OSMap: LR45

NO610640
2,000 x c.1,400 ft (610 x c.427 m)
c.64¼ acres (c.26 ha)

Roman Roads near Keithock Camp

None identified

Sites near Keithock Temporary Camp