Mons Graupius Contender: Hill of Bruxie
Introduction
After proposing Mondboddo, Roy in 1790 hedged his bets somewhat by then suggesting a site further north - "Perhaps even nearer Stonehaven than Mondboddo".
Suitable ground becomes increasingly limited as the low lying countryside narrows towards the choke point of the Mounth at Stonehaven, however Maxwell in 1990 highlighted the Hill of Bruxie as possibly being the feature Roy had in mind.
Like Mondboddo, features such as the Hill of Bruxie will have been noted by Roy’s fellow officers during their march north following the Jacobite forces in the closing stages of the "45".
The Hill of Bruxie sits in a commanding position over the traditional road here and the likelihood of the 18th C Jacobite army turning at bay here would have been a possibility the pursuing British Army’s staff corps would have been aware of. Roy, as at Mondboddo is likely to have considered this a potential situation which may have had precedence in antiquity at Mons Graupius.
Hill of Bruxie is a large freestanding hill of classic convex plan deep in Vacomagi territory. Its peak at +216m OD commands the plain below at around +100m OD and is visible for miles to the south as well as from north of the Mounth.
A: Campaigning
Is the site located in an area of known Flavian campaigning?
Yes
Is the Flavian activity in the area likely to be Agricolan?
No, the circa 30 acre string of camps arcing through Aberdeenshire to Moray do not hold sufficient capacity and post date 83 AD.
B: Marching Camps
Is there a marching camp in the vicinity of the site?
Yes, at Kair House.
Is the marching camp located close to the site?
No, 4.5 km away.
Does the marching camps position and orientation "address" the site?
No
Does the marching camp display Flavian characteristics?
One may possibly underlie the known camp which displays late Roman marching camp morphology.
Is the size of the marching camp reasonably close to the 117 acre criteria required to accommodate 26,000 men?
No the speculated Flavian camp at around 92 acres is not large enough and could only accommodate 20,400 men
C: Site topography
Is the site of an appropriate size to accommodate the forces engaged?
Yes, the lower southern girth of Hill of Bruxie is about 3km long. The hill however has a distinct convex profile and a depth which would give the Caledonians too deep a formation between front ranks on the plain and those located on higher ground for effective control to be exercised and maintained.
Does the critical area of the engagement include terrain or features which are specifically inconsistent with Tacitus account?
No, only minor watercourses are present.
Does the site have a "plain" at the foot of the hill suitable for the recorded chariot action?
Yes
Is the hill of an appropriate gradient for:
- The Caledonians to be marshalled and advance down and around? Yes
- A realistic Roman assault up? Yes
Does the countryside behind the Caledonian position have terrain consistent with the actions recorded in the immediate aftermath of the battle?
No, Hill of Bruxie is a conspicuous solitary hill located in a fairly lowland setting.
Can reasonably ready access to the fleet (approx a day or twos march) be achieved from the sites location?
Bervie bay would be the closest, Stonehaven would constitute a further advance north.
Is the likely point of contact with the fleet consistent with the broad strategy and location of the Roman fleet on the east coast?
Yes
Can the "Boresti" be identified locally?
No
Are there known marching camps which hint at Agricola’s movements after leaving the site of battle?
No
Is the sites location consistent with the position chosen the following year for the siting of the legionary fortress of Inchtuthil?
No, siting Inchtuthil so far to the south of the scene of victory on the field does not sit convincingly.
D: The Sites Name
Is there evidence in the locality for names from which Mons "Graupius" could be derived?
No
Summary
Hill of Bruxie achieves 9 appropriate answers out of a possible 19, which unfortunately rates this site as "highly unlikely".
This hill better than anywhere else demonstrates the difficulty that would be faced by Caledonians deployed on a convex hill, with the difficulties inherent in a wide - circa 3 km - deployment leaving them unavoidably facing radially outwards and in a poor position to contemplate enveloping their opposition.
On the other hand its conspicuous solitary setting would allow a predatory Roman general great latitude in choosing which direction to assault the hill from, a sensation readily apparent to the modern visitor circumnavigating the hill.
Lastly, the low rolling lowlands hereabout do not convincing match Tacitus account of the events following the battle.
NEXT PAGE: The Contenders: Hill of Edzell
©2009 Roman Scotland. All Rights Reserved
First Published February 2009
