The Romans in Scotland

The Romans came to Scotland in the late 70s AD. Three times they tried to conquer the country. Each time they held parts of lowland Scotland for a few years – but each time they withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. These maps show you how far the Romans got in each invasion (2 MB).

Left: Roman legionaries on a grave stone from Croy hill, North Lanarkshire.

Roman armies passed through the Birnie area at least once, and perhaps more. However, they did not occupy the region permanently. The people at Birnie would know about the Romans, but they did not have daily contact with them.

Yet although the Romans didn’t conquer all of Scotland, they had a big impact. Rome’s influence did not stop at Hadrian’s Wall. To keep the frontier secure, they sent patrols and diplomats into the ‘barbarian lands’. Valuable Roman objects were given to important local leaders – gifts to encourage them to stay friendly. The people at Birnie developed strong links to the Romans over a long period of time. Find out more about the Iron Age finds and the Roman finds.