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Cropmarks of a Roman temporary camp, discovered during aerial reconnaissance in 1955 by CUCAP. Continued reconnaissance by CUCAP, the RCAHMS and AAS has revealed the dimensions of the camp. It is a rectangular parallelogram on plan, measuring about 425m from northwest to southeast by 375m (circa 15.8ha). The camp, with its four clavicular gateways is the type-site for the 'Stracathro' type camp, probably because it has a less complicated version of the gateway as recorded by Roy at Dalginross, Perthshire, in the 18th century. Following its discovery St Joseph excavated the north-west gateway. The ditch was revealed to be shallow, V-shaped (about 8ft wide and 3.5 ft deep) and have a squared off channel at the base, increasing the depth to circa 4ft, with the filling appearing as natural silting and earth accumulated during cultivation. The series of 'Stracathro' camps, combined with the presumed relationship to the adjacent Flavian fort to the northeast, suggest that the camp was constructed during the campaigns of Julius Agricola in AD 78-84. There are numerous cropmarks of pits within the camp, which probably represent field ovens, furnaces, latrines and rubbish pits. There are also traces of at least one ring-ditch and a possible souterrain showing within the camp. No trace of the camp is visible on the ground. The cropmark of the annexe to the Roman fort overlaps the north-west corner, but which is chronologically earlier is unknown. Watching brief carried out in January 2009 over the excavation of a trench as part of the installation of a new electricity supply to Smiddyhill farmhouse. The trench was excavated to a depth of 700mm, but no finds or features of archaeological signifcance were encountered. Resistance and magnetic surveys carried out in 2012 (as part of the Roman Gask Project) included part of the temporary camp together with the entire surviving area of the Roman fort (NO66NW0033) and its annexe.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Angus
HER -
NO66NW0013 - STRACATHRO