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TALES OF A GRANDFATHER

By Sommerled Fergusson
Contact the author by e-mail at christopher.johnstone@ntlworld.com

“Our Ancestors” “Our ancient predecessors - were far more sophisticated than previously imagined”¹

Recent research, particularly in the field of archaeology has resulted in much of Scottish history having to be revised.

Unfortunately there is no early written history of the North of Scotland and much of the past has had to be deduced from Tacitus’ eulogy of Agricola’s campaign. History is always written by the victor and Tacitus wrote to show his father in law (Agricula) in a good light. In point of fact some doubt is now being cast on Agricola’s campaign2 and the credit for the Roman foray into Scotland should really go to his predecessor. Quintus Petillius Cerealis (brother in law of Emperor Vespasion 69-79AD) who established a line of watch towers and forts along the “Gask Frontier” before 70AD. ² The largest of these were capable of housing two auxiliary cohorts (500+ men in each). Agricola’s fleet kept pace with the army around the north-east coast to supply it, there being no roads then. Cumberland employed the same technique in 1746.

It followed therefore that any major assault on the fertile populated north eastern Straths had to come by sea and river and raiding parties, whether Roman, Norse or simply other Caledonian tribes tried to sail as far upstream as possible to avoid being bogged down by landing in the marshes of the estuaries.

Naturally the local inhabitants defended these areas since their survival depended on them and a superficial study of the Beauly Firth and Strathglass reveals a chain of prehistoric forts on each side of the Firth and stretching back up the Strath starting with Craig Phadraig [8] and Ord Hill [7] each side of the Kessock Narrows and extending up the Strath via Dun Fionn1 and Dun Garbhlaich [2] etc.

Forrest Enterprise³ has identified some of the forts but there may have been others not yet identified or demolished and their materials used for other buildings. They may not all belong to the same era but many of them did and some have been repaired and re occupied from time to time (see Corff House Fort). Their builders were great opportunists exploiting whatever material was to hand, turf, timber, stone and they sited them well on knoll or crag with a good field of view.

The most interesting from a strategic point of view are Dunmore Ruilick [5] a small dun 492ft above sea level in straight line of sight to the Kessock Narrows and easy signalling distance from Corff House Fort [11]. This was a large fort some 345ft in extent by 120ft and some 62ft above sea level. The 1905 Ordnance Survey Map shows the west wall of a different structure to the rest of the fort suggesting it had been modified or rebuilt at sometime. On more recent maps the west wall is missing, having been destroyed by the neighbouring gravel quarry before its significance was appreciated and a restraining order imposed.

This fort is some 210 yards from the Beauly river bank, some 270 yards from the centre of the Lovat Bridge where there was (and still is) a ford, and the highest point at which a raiding force could disembark even at high tide. It is only some 210 yards from the river bank. The minute a raiding force entered the Kessock Narrows it would be spotted at Dumore and a warning signal sent to the Corff House Fort giving ample time for its garrison to be reinforced to halt the raid.

Could the archers in the fort have been able to do so? Well, Robert Hardy⁴ records a shot of 350 yards with a bow of 116 Ibs draw weight and the Royal Company of Archers shoot at 180 and 200 yards in competition using bows of 50 and 60 Ibs draw weight even to this day.

The archers of the Crécy/Aguicourt period (the heydays of the longbow) could fire off 15 arrows a minute over a distance of some 300 yards and this was the rate of rifle fire of the “Old Contemptibles” in 1914 (indeed, so rapid was their fire that the Germans thought that they had far more than two machine guns for battalion).

It seems highly likely therefore that the garrison in the fort could have turned the area between jig them and the river into a “killing ground” given that they would be shooting downhill even though they were less expert and their bows less efficient than those of an earlier period.

If the raiders managed to slip past up the Strath they would be liable to the harassed from the forts on either side. I am not an archaeologist but if this hypothesis is sound then it indicates a well planned defence in depth even by modern standards and would suggest that our ancient predecessors really were more intelligent, more sophisticated and more skilled than previously imagined.

Agricula, Roman Govenor of Britain 79-84AD

Quintus Petillius Cerealis, Govenor of Britiain 69-72AD

Acknowledgements and a map of the Beauly Firth and all the numbered [ ] forts at hoolet web extra

Other hoolet online articles by Somerled Fergusson can be found at:
hoolet online edition 40 - What Goes Around Comes Around
webextra - What Goes Around Comes Around
hoolet edition 38
hoolet edition 37 - The Fergusson Medical Centre - Beauly
hoolet edition 36 - Ian Dingwall Grant - Scotland's First President
hoolet edition 35
hoolet edition 34
hoolet edition 33
hoolet edition 32
hoolet edition 31
hoolet edition 30
hoolet edition 29
hoolet edition 28
hoolet edition 27