It was an old cobblestone road, the work of the troops of General Julius Agricola, governor of Britain between 78 and 84, which was used to finish the conquest of the island of Great Britain and begin its Romanization. Once the task was completed, however, the road remained and grew in importance until it became the most important road in Scotland.
The Picts, the Vikings, the Normans, William the Conqueror, Oliver Cromwell, all the kings and queens of Scotland and even William Wallace himself, the man who led his country against the English occupation at the hands of King Edward I, passed through it. .
Despite its importance, the road built 2,000 years ago has been hidden under the garden of a former Drovers Inn hotel located west of the city of Stirling, next to the old drip bridge built in the 18th century. The 1st century AD causeway would have connected with a ford across the River Forth.
Stirling, the ancient capital of Scotland, was a strategic enclave to reach the Highlands. Hence, after the road was used by the soldiers of Julius Agricola, the Romans used it again in the 2nd and 3rd centuries when the legions launched new campaigns in Scotland under the rule of the emperors Antoninus and Severus.
"This crossing would have been used by the Romans, the Picts, William the Conqueror, Oliver Cromwell and all the kings and queens of Scotland, including MacBeth, Kenneth McAlpin and Robert I Bruce," says archaeologist Murray Cook, who works for the Council. Stirling Municipal.
“It is the most important road in Scottish history, so it is a surprising discovery. To literally walk where Wallace, Bruce and many others walked is amazing. It is incredible that before this discovery it was not clear where this road ran either,” adds Cook.
The road was discovered during an excavation in the garden of one of the cabins of the hotel built in the 17th century. “To the south, the road heads towards Falkirk and can eventually take you to England. Towards the north, it takes you to cross the River Tay and the edge of the Roman Empire,” admits the researcher.
Jennifer Ure, who lives in the country house with her husband and two children, said in a statement that it is “amazing to think that people like William the Conqueror and King Henry VIII would have walked where our garden is now; Not many people can say that!”
“I have lived in Stirling for most of my life and you know all the great historic sites in the area, such as the Castle and the Wallace Monument, but I don't think people appreciate all the other historic events that took place here and that this discovery has brought to light,” he adds.
The family “had no idea the path could have been there until Murray showed up and asked if he could dig in the garden. When they found the path, we couldn't help but be excited, especially because of its importance.” In 2024 the city of Stirling will celebrate its 900th anniversary.
Dr Cook carried out the field work as part of a training excavation program involving local volunteers and students. “The road stopped receiving maintenance after the Romans left, so it became an eroded ravine and what we have found is its eroded surface,” explains the archaeologist.
“We know that a ford – part of a river with a firm, shallow bottom that can be walked across – has been recorded here since 1304, when the area was being watched by Edward I's spies during the siege of Stirling Castle. , when the War Wolf (Warwolf), the largest catapult in the world, was used,” he adds.
Before this ford was built, researchers believe that the Cambuskenneth Ford was most likely used, which is the only place on the River Forth that could be crossed on foot.
“The last time there is news of the passage is in the 18th century, when it was replaced first by a ferry and then by a bridge. But they are all in the same place because it was more expensive to move the road!”, concludes Murray Cook.
