Mons Graupius Identified
Contending Sites ranked by probability
| SITE: | RANKING: |
PROBABILITY (measured as a %): |
| Sites above 95% probability are prime contenders. 100% probability is considered positive proof. | ||
| Dunning | 1 |
100% |
| Sites between 75 and 95% probability are categorised as strong contenders. | ||
| Gask Ridge Alternative | 2 |
84% |
| Carpow | 3 eq |
82% |
| Craig Rossie | 3 eq |
82% |
| Ardoch Moor | 5 eq |
79% |
| Carey | 5 eq |
79% |
| Glen Eagles | 5 eq |
79% |
| Sites between 50 and 75% probability are categorised as interesting. | ||
| Gask Ridge Traditional | 8 eq |
74% |
| Knock of Crieff | 8 eq |
74% |
| Moncreiffe Hill | 8 eq |
74% |
| Tillymorgan | 11 |
66% |
| Hill of Edzell | 12 eq |
63% |
| Inverquharity | 12 eq |
63% |
| The Caterthuns | 12 eq |
63% |
| Huntlyhill | 15 eq |
58% |
| Peterculter | 15 eq |
58% |
| Strathfinella | 15 eq |
58% |
| Dalginross | 18 |
53% |
| Sites between 25 and 50% probability are categorised as highly unlikely. | ||
| Lomond Hills | 19 eq |
50% |
| Stormontfield | 19 eq |
50% |
| Hill of Bruxie | 21 |
47% |
| Mondboddo | 22 eq |
42% |
| Monifieth | 22 eq |
42% |
| Bennachie Alternative | 24 eq |
37% |
| Kempstone Hill | 24 eq |
37% |
| Pass of Grange | 24 eq |
37% |
| Mormond Hill | 27 |
34% |
| Fendoch | 28 |
32% |
| Bennachie Traditional | 29 |
26% |
| Sites below 25% are categorised as not worth serious consideration. | ||
| Culloden | 30 |
18% |
| Fortingall | 31 |
11% |
This analysis makes for some interesting, and in some cases extremely noteworthy reading. It is particularly evident that recent favourites such as Bennachie, even with an improved location, Pass of Grange and Kempstone Hill all fare particularly poorly.
Culloden’s rating makes it clear that citation of the Moray Firth and the extreme far north as the location of the battle is no longer a tenable approach.
Considerable attraction devolves to sites around the River Earn and in Perthshire, and here at Dunning, on a site located on the Clevage Hills the remarkable and exemplary probability of 100% is achieved across a thoroughly wide ranging and tough set of criteria, the likes of which these contenders have never been put against to date.
When we set out to explore the contenders and started writing this work we hoped to be able to conclude “on the balance of probability” that one site perhaps best merited the accolade of being identified the site of Mons Graupius.
There is now no need for such caution, the Clevage Hills superbly fit the description of events by Tacitus, they are located in a proven area of Flavian campaigning and the camp at Dunning – the correct size for the likely Roman forces involved - sits in a coherent series of the largest known and irrefutably proven Flavian camps north of the Forth.
A Caledonian mustering there makes perfect sense with the Romans likely to pass near but not directly through this location in any march north through Strathallan, and cannily away from the direction Rome saw of concern following the preceding season; the area fronting the Trossachs.
Located to the south of Venicone territory – one of the major stakeholders in the Caledonian tribal confederacy - the position on the Clevage Hills is perfect for a formidable defensive encampment and its location enables the tribes to take whatever action was deemed necessary before the Roman columns started harrying their lands to the north of this position again.
It is singularly well located to either address any Roman expansionist moves north in the campaign season of 83 AD or to take the fight further south perhaps with the aim of encouraging the tribes in southern Scotland to throw off the Imperial yoke.
The rare survival of the original sites name Croup or Croupii to this day at Dunning and Carey would suggest that the Ochil`s Northern Hills, seen even to this day as a distinct component of the Ochil Hills was the region known as the Croup or Croupi. The later medieval battle of Dorsum Crup proves this, the battle at Dunning on the “Ridge of
Cr(o)up” while the association with the hill ranges name survives at nearby Carey with the Croupie Craigs.
Mons Craupius – Hill of the Croup - has at last been positively identified.
It is time to turn our attention to the events of 83 AD which – based on our findings - we shall now endeavour to reconstruct.
NEXT PAGE: Mons Graupius - A Reconstruction
©2009 Roman Scotland. All Rights Reserved
First Published February 2009
