Cramond Roman Fort

Cramond is an amazing fort which had

glass windows – the last building in Scotland to do so for 1000 years
a hospital that left a full set of Roman surgical instruments
troops from France, Germany and Belgium
A huge lion statue unique in Scotland
leather workers, shoe makers, architects, builders and many skilled tradesmen

Cramond at the mouth of the river Almond is the location of the 2nd oldest dwelling in Scotland and so has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. The Romans built a fort here during the Antonine Wall period in 142 AD There was a second round of building during that time and then a further occupation during the invasion of Scotland by the African Emperor Septimus Severus in 208 AD. Cramond Fort is special in that its buildings had windows and is the last known windowed building in Scotland for 1000 years.¹

We know from inscriptions that auxiliary units from France, Germany and Belgium were stationed here – the Cugerni and the Second Cohort of Tungrians. See the Altar dedicated to the Mother Goddesses the Alatervae (?) and the Mother Goddesses of the Parade-ground

The road out of Cramond will have had tombstones like all forts across the empire. A lavish tombstone of imported Italian marble was found here for a slave boy Inventus. A Tombstone for Demetrus was also found, for a Thracian woman. Thracia is in modern Bulgaria and Spartacus was a Thracian.