Cramond Fort

Cramond Fort is the remains of one of the few stone Roman forts on the Antonine Wall. It is located in the north-western district of Edinburgh, near the Almond River, in close proximity to the Firth of Forth (North Sea).

The first traces of the stay of the Romans dating back to the early 80s of the 1st century CE when the first camp (earth and sod) was established by Julius Gnaeus Agricola during his expedition to present-day Scotland.

During the construction of the Antoninus Embankment, in the 60s of the 2nd century CE a stone fort was built for about 4-5 centuries and a command centre for the eastern section of this fortification.

The peak of development falls on the preparations of Emperor Septimius Severus for the conquest of Scotland (Caledonia); it was definitively abandoned during the reign of his son Caracalla (211-217 CE), after retreating to Hadrian’s Wall.

Slowly deteriorating, it was definitely demolished around the 11th century, and the stone obtained from the fort was used to build the Cramond Kirk church, which still exists today, erected (main nave) on the foundations of the seat (office) of the section commander.