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Cropmarks of a Roman Temporary Camp. Battledykes (also known as Oathlaw to distinguish it from Battledykes at Keithock NO66SW0001) was recorded as earthworks by Roy (1755) and by Jamieson who also recorded the prehistoric burial mounds within the camp. The layout of the camp has been confirmed by cropmarks recorded by CUCAP and the RCAHMS over several years. The camp measures 594.36m North-South by 914.4m transversely, giving it an area of about 130 acres. In Roy's time, the North, South and East sides were almost entire and a small section to the north of the south-west corner remained. Four gates, the East, North East, South East and South West were very distinct, and a fifth at the North West visible, but the traverse was levelled. Jamieson, writing in 1786, states that the camp appeared to have been defended on all sides by two ramparts with a ditch between, except on part of the west side, where the ground was marshy. He also mentions a rampart which started at the southeast corner of the camp, ran east for a short way, then south for circa 182.88m, and turned west where it was lost after circa 109.7m. This rampart was not of any strength, and no ditch was visible. When visited by O. G. S. Crawford in 1925 and 1939, the ramparts had been almost completely ploughed over, only a stretch measuring little over 152.4m of the south rampart, towards the west end, being visible, as subsequently shown on OS 6 inch map, while the South ditch was only visible as a cropmark. All of the ditch on the east side was seen as cropmarks, in the position shown on the OS 6 inch map, but hardly any traces of the rampart or ditch on the north or west were seen, though the traverse covering the eastern of the two entrances in the north side was located, consisting of a mound in the edge of the wood at NO 4598 5585. It is 18.3m long, and the ditch to its north side is plainly visible. West of it, there is a bump in the road-hedge where the line of the rampart crosses it south of a cottage. In 1958 the OS noted that the only apparent remains of this camp is the traverse mentioned by Crawford (1949) at NO 4600 5586, which was exactly as he described, being 21m long x 3.0m. The ditch to its north side is 1.5m wide x 0.3m deep and water-filled. At no other point was any trace of a rampart or ditch found. The short stretch in the wood comprises a modern drainage ditch, and the bank mentioned by Crawford here seems to have been formed by the cutting of the ditch. It was again visited in 1977 when the traverse bank was recorded as being 1.3m high, mutilated on its South side by a modern road ditch. The modern roads which cross the camp appear to respect the entrances of the camp.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Angus
HER -
NO45NE0012 - BATTLEDYKES, OATHLAW