Roman wall in running for award

The wall stretches from Bo'ness to Old Kilpatrick

A historic landmark which represents the most northerly walled frontier of the Roman Empire has been nominated to become a World Heritage Site.

The Antonine Wall runs 37 miles from Bo'ness, near Falkirk, to Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire.

It is now in the running along with two other UK landmarks for the accolade, the UK Government has announced.

The bid has been supported by five local authorities throughout central and the west of Scotland.

The wall was built in about 140 AD to keep Pictish warriors out of the Roman Empire after the conquest of southern Scotland.

It became a monument to the reign of Emperor Antonius Pius but was abandoned after just a generation, in about 165 AD.

The Antonine Wall is an outstanding international archaeological treasure Patricia Ferguson Scottish Culture Minister

If accepted by conservation body Unesco, the wall, along with the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Wrexham and the Anglo-Saxon twin monastery of Wearmouth and Jarrow, will join the list of 27 UK World Heritage Sites.

Scottish Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson said: "The Antonine Wall is an outstanding international archaeological treasure.

"This touch of Roman civilisation in central Scotland is a reminder of the many European links our country has and this bid for World Heritage Site status is widely supported."

The UK nominations, together with those from other countries, will be submitted to Unesco in February 2007, 2008 and 2009, with the final decisions being made by the World Heritage Committee the following summer.