Kirkbuddo Temporary Camp

Almost the entire perimeter of this camp is known, all except the E corner-angle and short lengths of the NE and SW sides, the latter submerged in marshland. At least four gateways are visible, one set centrally in both the NW and SE sides, and another two in the SW side, one about 800 ft. from the S angle, the other about 900 ft. from the W angle. There is a gap in the NE defences opposite the southern-most gateway in the SE side, but any similar gap opposite the northern-most gateway has been lost. Both the NW and SE sides are roughly 1,100 ft. long, but the longer SW and NE sides are not the same, being about 2,300 ft. and 2,460 ft. long respectively (700 & 750 m). In order to accomodate this, the N angle is acute, the W angle obtuse, and the SW defences bend inwards at the northern-most gateway. Air photographs taken in the late 1950’s recorded that the south-west defences made a detour around a small bog, a most un-Roman arrangement. Roy recorded that a small ‘redoubt’ was attached to the defences of the camp on the higher ground to the south-east. This smaller camp is well-placed to overlook the whole of the interior of the main encampment and is analogous to the situation at Innerpeffray, where two similar annexes were thought to have housed a caretaker force guarding the encampment while the main force were off causing mayhem. The outline of this small annexe was recorded on A.P.’s taken in the early-1960’s.

OS National Grid Reference: NO491422

Dimensions: c.2,380 x 1,100 ft (c.725 x 335 m)

Area: c.60 acres (c.24.3 ha)