大象传媒

Bha mi aig a鈥� Mh貌d N脿iseanta anns an Eaglais Bhric. Bha sin ann san D脿mh-air. Nuair a bha mi ann, thug mi s霉il air Balla Antonine. Tha am balla a鈥� ruith tron Eaglais Bhric. 鈥橲 e am balla an rud as motha a thog na R貌manaich ann an Alba. Tha e cl脿raichte a-nise air Cl脿r Dualchas na Cruinne.

Anns a鈥� bhliadhna ceud, trith-ead 鈥檚 a h-ochd (138 AD), chaochail an t-脤ompaire Hadrian. Thog esan Balla Hadrian. Tha am balla sin ainmeil.

An uair sin, fhuair Antoninus Pius dreuchd an 脤ompaire. Agus d猫 rinn esan? Thog esan balla cuideachd! Ach bha sin gu tuath air Balla Hadrian. Bha e ann am meadhan na h-Alba, no far a bheil meadhan na h-Alba an-diugh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cha robh Balla Antonine mar a tha Balla Hadrian. Anns a鈥� chuid mh貌ir, bha e air a thogail de sgrathan, seach clachan. Bha d矛g mh貌r air an taobh a tuath. Bha rathad m貌r air an taobh a deas. Ach, mar a bha le Balla Hadrian, bha d霉in co-cheangailte ris. Bha na saighdearan a鈥� fuireach anns na d霉in.

Tha mi a鈥� dol a thoirt s霉il air na d霉in air Balla Antonine. Tha mi a鈥� dol a th貌iseachadh air a鈥� cheann an iar. 鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad fhear D霉n Chill Ph脿draig no Old Kilpatrick Fort. Tha sin faisg air ceann a tuath Drochaid Arasgain. Tha an drochaid sin a鈥� dol thar Abhainn Chluaidh, gu siar air Glaschu. Tha an d霉n a鈥� c貌mhdachadh ceithir acaire. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e ann mus do thog na R貌manaich am balla m貌r.

Gu sear air Cill Ph脿draig tha D霉n T貌chair. Uill, D霉n T貌chair a-nise. Ach o shean 鈥檚 e Druim T貌chair a bha air. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh the ridge of the causeway. Chan eil m貌ran dhen d霉n sin air fh脿gail.

I was at the National Mod in Falkirk. That was [held] in October. When I was there, I took a look at the Antonine Wall. The wall runs through Falkirk. The wall is the biggest thing the Romans built in Scotland. It is now listed on the World Heritage List.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the year 138 (AD), the Emperor Hadrian died. He built Hadrian鈥檚 Wall. That wall is famous.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Then Antoninus Pius became the Emperor. And what did he do? He built a wall as well! But that was north of Hadrian鈥檚 Wall. It was in central Scotland, or what is now central Scotland.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Antonine Wall wasn鈥檛 like Hadrian鈥檚 Wall. For the most part, it was built of turf, rather than stone. There was a big ditch to the north. There was a big road to the south. But, as was [the case] with Hadrian鈥檚 Wall, there were forts connected with it. The soldiers lived [were living] in the forts.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I鈥檓 going to look at the forts on the Antonine Wall. I鈥檓 going to start at the western end. The first one is Old Kilpatrick Fort. That鈥檚 near the north end of the ErskineBridge. That bridge goes across the River Clyde, west of Glasgow. The fort covers four acres. Perhaps it was there before the Romans built the big wall.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 East of Old Kilpatrick there is Duntocher. Well it鈥檚 now Duntoch-er. But in olden times it was called Druim T貌chair. That means 鈥渢he ridge of the causeway鈥�. Not much of that fort is left.