The battle of Mons Graupius has been a constant motif in the study of Roman Scotland. In the nineteenth century CE it was identified with almost every principal Roman site in Perth and Kinross from Dalginross to Blairgowrie. With the advent of aerial photography and the interpretation of crop markings the recent focus has moved to the northeast and a series of marching camps en route to the Moray coast. Yet the location of Mons Graupius remains elusive.

The failure to provide a definitive site for the battle of Mons Graupius has meant an increasing scepticism towards its existence. The original account of the battle of Mons Graupius comes from the Roman historian Tacitus and his biography of his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola.

It is claimed that given the family connections, Tacitus has either invented or exaggerated the significance of this battle and it never actually occurred. But such a conclusion is premature. Although the recent study of the marching camps of the north east has proved inconclusive, there is another series of marching camps that have been largely ignored. These camps cross from Fife into Strathearn and represent a serious omission in the search for Mons Graupius. The following pages explore the possibility that these camps maybe indicative of the battle and maintain this supposition is supported by Ptolemy's second century CE map of Scotland.