The Trimontium fort site is easily accessible year round by a traffic free walking route. Access from the west through Newstead village or from the east off the A68 layby by the Leaderfoot viaduct.
Explore the fort site with our guided walks and app
The Trimontium Trust run guided walks from Melrose on a regular basis during the summer season. The next walks available can be found via our events page.
We have erected information boards and memorial stones to guide visitors around the site in a circular walk, while unlocking the hidden history that lies in the ground and across the Scottish Borders landscape.
Self-guided walk booklets can be purchased at the Trimontium Museum. You can also explore the fort’s history in-depth using our new app, which can be downloaded from the App Store (Via Trimontia) and Google Play (Trimontium Roman Fort). Begin your Roman adventure at Trimontium today!
You can find Accessibility information about the Fort Site on our Accessibility page.
Practical information for visiting the Trimontium fort site
Whether you are exploring the Trimontium fort site on our guided walks or independently, there are a few things to bear in mind to ensure an enjoyable experience and protect the integrity of the fort site itself.
Sturdy, weather-resistant footwear is strongly recommended. Sections of the fort site are navigated along paved paths, while other sections involve dirt tracks which can be muddy and uneven.
There is very little shelter throughout the fort site as it is primarily open fields and paths. We recommend checking the weather forecast before visiting the fort site, and bringing weatherproof outer layers and umbrellas if it seems likely to rain.
Benches and wooden platforms with information boards both provide seating throughout the fort site. The full Trimontium fort site walk beginning from Trimontium Museum in Melrose covers 5 miles, while the shorter walk beginning at Newstead covers 2.5 – 3 miles.
The entirety of the Trimontium fort site is a scheduled monument, including the Red Hill native settlement and area around the Rhymer’s Stone. This means that metal detecting, any kind of digging, and the removal of archaeological finds is illegal without the permission of Historic Environment Scotland. We are aware of illegal ‘nighthawking’ on the fort site and are taking measures to prevent such illicit activities. Eildon Hill North, site of the native hillfort which overlooked the Roman fort, is also a scheduled monument protected by law.
If you are interested in metal detecting, fieldwalking, and other kinds of archaeological investigation at Trimontium, you can join us as a volunteer and participate in organised sessions supervised by experienced archaeologists.
