"Sheep poop, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that... I love the smell of sheep poop in the morning... Ya know, that wet pasture smell... It smells like... victory."

Apologies to Francis Ford Coppola, but if visions of sheep pastures in rain, fog and sunshine don't trigger your memories of Roman military glory, perhaps you haven't trekked across Scotland looking at the signs left by the Roman Army, 18 centuries ago. Time then to climb the hills of Trimontium to a Roman signal tower. Look over the Firth of Forth from the fortress at Cramond Harbour. Or gasp your way up the side of a possible Mons Graupius and imagine doing it in auxiliary armour. Time also to wander the Perthshire field that was once the 50-acre legionary fortress for XX Valeria Victrix. Fourteen million man-hours of labour ... now only shallow ditches and irritable cattle remain. The thud of hammers, rasp of saws, clang of shovels and grunting men reside now only in the memory of Roman history buffs on a sunny June day.

Farther south, for tourists of Roman Britain, the stonework, mosaics and museums can recreate a world for even the casual observer. For those seeking the Empire at its most northern Scottish limits, however, real imagination is required. The story of the Roman Army in Scotland turns out to be just as fascinating as the tale farther south. Surprised to hear that Roman armies fought at 57 degrees North latitude? You're not alone. But there is much to see and ponder north of the famous Hadrian's Wall which runs through the modern British city of Carlisle (in the west) to Newcastle (in the east).

Building on their very successful Roman Army in Britain tour, Andante Travels inaugurated their "Roman Army in Scotland" trip in June of 2004. The eight-day whirlwind bus tour started in Carlisle, headed north to Edinburgh and west along the Antonine Wall to Glasgow before working northeast past forts and camps to possible sites of Mons Graupius. From the northern reaches of Roman military adventures, the tour headed back south to visit Dere Street and the Roman outlier fortress (Bremenium), finally rejoining Hadrian's Wall and finishing up in Carlisle.

Led by Dr. Mike Bishop, a famed expert on Roman military equipment, the dozen participants of this first tour were treated to plenty of sheep pasture and an occasional sprinkle of rain but conditions were generally excellent. Meals and accommodation were more than adequate, and free time in both Edinburgh and Glasgow offered welcome variety.

The most striking part of the tour was the extent of Roman impact on the landscape and history of Scotland. And how little it seems to be acknowledged or exploited by current Scottish tourist authorities. All that may, and should, change in the future but for the moment, visitors to the Roman sites in Scotland often find themselves on their own, left to their own imaginations.

Day one: Burnswark, Lyne, Trimontium

Day two: Museum of Scotland

Day three: Kinneil Park, Callendar Park, Watling Lodge, Rough Castle, Seabegs Wood, Bar Hill

Day four: Bothwellhaugh, Hillfoot Cemetery, Bearsden

Day five: Ardoch, Kaims Castle, Gask Ridge

Day six: Fendoch, Inchtuthil, Kirkbuddo, Stracathro, Raedykes, Normandykes

Day seven: Durno, Bennachie, Archeolink

Day eight: Cramond, Soutra Pass, Brigantium, Bremenium, Hadrian's Wall, Walltown Crags