The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Roaming down the Roman road
Inchtuthil, Spittalfield, Perth and Kinross
During their invasion of Scotland, the Romans constructed a robust line of fortresses and camps through Perthshire designed to push back the hostile forces of the Highlands and protect the rich agricultural lowlands.
One of their most strategically important strongholds was Inchtuthil, built on the northern bank of the River Tay, to the south of the village of Spittalfield. Known as Pinnata Castra, over 5,000 legionaries were stationed here, a heavily armed infantry that could be swiftly deployed along the line to quell any major incursions.
Despite its importance, the fort was occupied for only five years. Abandoned in 85 AD, before it was even complete, its soldiers moved south as the Romans ditched plans to conquer Caledonia and made a dignified retreat.
Today, all that remains of the fort is a large, slightly raised plateau of farmland and heath encircled by bands of woodland.
From the pretty green in the centre of Spittalfield, I set off east along the main road. Care is needed here, for there is no pavement and the verge is slim.
Thankfully, however, this more exposed section of road walking is short and, where the A984 swings left, a track continues ahead, passing between stone gate posts to enter Glendelvine Estate.
Sheltered by mature trees, the way passes wild fowling ponds nestling in woodland to the right before turning east, skirting round a farm steading at Delvine en route to another farm at Nether Aird. The site of the Roman fort lies across fields to the south, elevated defences perched above a bank, now covered by trees.
With a command building at its heart, the 50-acre fort housed 64 barrack blocks, a hospital, workshops and granaries, all surrounded by protective ramparts of earth, stone and timber.
Walking south from Nether Aird, I reached the river at Hooker’s Point, beyond the appropriately named Tay Cottage, and, from here, followed the track round to Delvine Gardens, which are open to the public by prior arrangement during the summer.
Branching off the rough road below the gardens, which border the fort, I wandered out across riverside grazing land, the track progressing upstream past trout and salmon fishing beats.
It was on this section of the Tay, a little upriver, that the largest salmon ever caught in Britain – a 64lb specimen – was landed by ferryman’s daughter Georgina Ballantine in 1922. Her record stands to this day.
The track ends at a wee anglers’ cabin and, from a nearby pedestrian gate, I continued along a path running between the river and a field of baled hay, which was offering a stopover for transitory geese as I wandered by.
Curving right, the path proceeds along the top of a levee but, with the going rough underfoot, I found it easier to proceed along the grassy riverbank, swinging right on a track that cut through the embankment before progressing north to Easter Caputh Farm. Forking left to avoid the bustling farmyard, well-signed tracks skirting fields and forestry allowed me to beat my own retreat back to Spittalfield.
ROUTE
1. Walk 500m east on A984. 2. Leave road and continue ahead (signed Riverside Path), passing between stone gate posts. Follow track southeast.
3. At crossing point of tracks, turn left and follow track east, skirting round steading at Delvine, to Nether Aird.
4. Turn right (signed Caputh) and follow track south then south-west.
5. Approaching Delvine Gardens, branch left at track junction. Pass through metal gate and bear right on track, initially gravel then grassy, crossing grazing land.
6. Beyond anglers’ cabin, pass through gate and continue west on riverside path.
7. Cross embankment and continue west on grassy track. Turn right ahead of stream crossing and walk north to cross embankment.
8. Continue north on track to Easter Caputh Farm.
9. Approaching farm, fork left at track junction, passing to left of farm, to reach junction by cottage. Turn right (signed Spittalfield) then go left in 300m.