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Antonine Wall: Rough Castle

East of Bonnybridge, Falkirk
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Open all year round
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Get a real picture of Roman frontier life at the best-preserved fort on the Antonine Wall.

Rough Castle is the second-smallest fort on the wall, but it’s in the best state of preservation.

In the area around Rough Castle, visitors can see:

  • The tallest surviving section of rampart

  • A short length of the Military Way, which ran the length of the wall

  • Defensive lilia pits - shallow, oval hollows arranged in rows. Originally each was filled with hidden sharpened stakes, creating a dangerous obstacle for attackers!

  • Defences for the fort (which was the main base for soldiers) and the annexe (which was an attached enclosure used for workshops, storage, and extra accommodation).

  • Multiple ditches and gateways

Rough Castle was one of 16 known forts along the Antonine Wall, which was built across Scotland’s central belt from AD 140. The wall formed the north-western frontier of the Roman Empire.

For more information on visiting the Antonine Wall, please visit www.antoninewall.org.

Monument Monitor

We're inviting visitors to certain monuments, including this one, to be a part of a crowdsourced conservation project. Look out for the signs as you explore! Read more about Monument Monitor.

The Antonine Wall information board seen from farther away, standing among tall trees with a worn footpath leading into the woodland behind it.
A ground-level view of grassy earthworks at Rough Castle, showing a sunlit dip between two rounded mounds. Trees and shrubs line the edges under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
Dozens of oval pits arranged in neat rows on grassy ground beside a line of trees, seen from above. These are the remains of Roman defensive “lilia” pits at Rough Castle on the Antonine Wall.

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