Lochrutton

At least one camp at Lochrutton was discovered as a cropmark during analysis of Cambridge University air photographs by Cowley (RCAHMS) in early 2010, with further aerial survey (by RCAHMS ) in June 2010 providing additional information. It lies on the west side of Lochrutton Loch, south of a Roman fortlet (Hunter 2005: 402) and close to the presumed line of the Roman road from Dalswinton to Glenlochar (Wilson 1989: 8). Around 290m of the ESE side of the camp have been recorded, together with adjacent rounded corners and a

possible entrance gap south of centre; 180m of the NNE side are known, with a possible entrance gap, before the side turns into a rounded angle to the south. The camp then appears to continue this same trajectory of the NNE side, but located some 25m to the south of the original line, for a further 135m before a further corner angle is recorded. The WSW side is visible (measuring some 240m) leading to the south-west corner angle. A similar scenario seems to exist for the SSW side, suggesting that the camp may have been two-phase or have an annexe, there is a hint of a dividing cropmark in the northern part of the camp but no comparable cropmark to the south. This would suggest that the eastern segment of the camp enclosed around 5.2ha (nearly 13 acres) and the western, 3.3ha (just over 8 acres), enclosing around 8.5ha (21 acres) in total.

Immediately south-west of the camp lies a rectangular enclosure measuring at least 100m from NNE to SS W by around 65m transversely with a smaller enclosure, some 65m by 65m attached to its SW end. These structures are reminiscent of some of the small Roman camps recorded at Lochlands Three Bridges.

R H Jones.