Raith

The watch-towers in this sector were intended to control movement on the road between Strageath and Bertha, and the system may have been continued south to Ardoch and perhaps further. They should be seen as a sort of linear frontier, an early precursor of more complex barriers such as the Antonine Wall, but they were also distinct elements in a surveillance system of roadside installations which controlled movement of the native population into and out of Fife. For example, it has been suggested that the towers between Ardoch and Kaims Castle (no. 82) may also have served as a forward line of communication for the fort at Ardoch; these watch-towers have two ditches and thus appear to belong to a group distinct from the Gask Ridge series. The towers, separated by intervals which range from about 0.8km to 1.5km were some 3.5m square with stout corner-posts, and excavations have revealed that some of these posts were connected by sleeper-trenches to provide additional support for the superstructure-a two-storey signalling tower of the type clearly illustrated on Trajan's Column; the pits in which these posts stood may be seen on the air photograph of Westerton (NN 873145); in some examples the tower was surrounded by an earthen rampart, probably surmounted by a timber breast-work, and by a ditch (over 3m wide and at least 1m deep), occasionally with an outer bank. The ditch was interrupted opposite the entrance (also visible on the air photograph) to allow access from the road; an indication of the road-line is given on the photograph by the roadside quany-pits seen as dark patches. The general appearance of the watch-towers is shown in the reconstruction drawing, reminding us perhaps that although the surviving traces are slight, the towers once formed part of an effective military communications-system, which successfully imposed Roman control over east-central Scotland.

Among the best preserved and most accessible sites are those listed below.

Parkneuk (NN 916184) (Forestry Commission). Park at the entrance to the forestry track, walk along the track for about 50m before turning east; the rampart, ditch, outer bank and three of the four post-holes were revealed by excavation in 1968.

Ardunie (NN 946187) HBM (SDD). Park at the bend in the road (NN 960188), walk west along the track, which is on the line of the Roman road, for some 1.3km; the watch-tower is in a fenced enclosure to the south of the track. The ditch and causeway may still be seen.

On a rise to the north of the track at a point about 200m west of the parking area there is the site of the tower of Round law (NN 958188); excavations in 1972 showed the outline of the ditch and four rock-cut post-holes for the main uprights of the tower.

Muir O' Fauld (NN 982189) HBM (SDD). Park at the entrance to the forestry road at NN 985191 and walk to the west along the track (on the line of the Roman road) for 350m; the watch-tower is sign posted to the south of the track in a fenced enclosure. The rampart, ditch, causeway and outer bank can be seen.

Witch Knowe (NN 997195). Park at the entrance to the forestry track opposite the lodge to Gask House at NN 996194; a little to the east on the north side of the road there is an overgrown track; the watch-tower is in trees 90m north of the broken gate. The ditch, causeway and outer bank can still be seen. Four postholes of the watch-tower were discovered during excavations in 1900, each about 0.45m in diameter and 0.6m deep.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Fife and Tayside’, (1987).