18 Excavations at Raeburnfoot. 



Dr Macdonald referred to Raeburnfoot Camp, Eskdale, as 

 described by its discoverer in the New Statistical Account of 

 Scotland, as having not a few of the characteristics of a Roman 

 Camp or Fort, and the Transactions of the Society, 1895-96, 

 page 172, show that at a field meeting held on 30th May, 1896, 

 at Eskdalemuir, the Camp was visited and examined. The 

 experts present were of opinion that the probability was in favour 

 of its having been a Roman Camp ; but, in the absence of any 

 positive evidence such as would be furnished by excavations and 

 the discovery of relics of Roman occupation, they hesitated to 

 decide the matter absolutely. 



Thereafter the Council of the Society resolved, so soon as their 

 funds would permit, to endeavour to overtake exploratory works 

 sufficient to allow of a more definite opinion being arrived at. 



The treasurer's report submitted at the opening of the present 

 session being unfavourable to the prospect of carrying out the 

 contemplated work, Mr Murray, V.P., obtained the sanction of 

 the Council to raise a small sum for the purpose by subscription ; 

 and a committee was appointed to make the necessary arrange- 

 ments and see to the excavations being carried through, the 

 outlay to be limited to £10. Mr Beattie of Davington ; Mr 

 Murray, V.P.; Mr James Lennox, F.S.A., librarian ; Dr Maxwell 

 Ross, hon. secretary ; and myself were the committee. The fund 

 required was promptly obtained, and the consent of the 

 proprietor and the tenant of the land on which the Camp is 

 situated being readily granted, operations were commenced at the 

 Camp on Monday, 1st November last. 



The Camp before operations began. 



The Camp is shown, but only in outline, on the Ordnance 

 Survey Map. It is situated in an angle at the junction of the 

 Raeburn with the Esk, and occupies a sort of antlier, rising from 

 an irregular basin surrounded by hills. The river Esk, now at 

 some distance, formerly skirted its base on the west, and the 

 Raeburn, also a little way ofi", after touching the south-east 

 corner, flowed to the Esk in a south-westerly direction, leaving a 

 small triangular tongue of land projecting at the south end of the 

 Camp. 



The Camp rises abruptly 40 feet above the level of the holm 

 intervening between it and the Esk, on the west, and falls east- 

 wards with a rounded section until it reaches low marshy ground. 



