Dundee Law – the capital of the Boresti?

After the battle of Mons Graupius in 83AD, the Romans withdrew to the territory of the Boresti, where they took hostages. Historians have suggested that the Boresti were based in Fife. However, the Boresti may have been based in the area of Dundee. The Venicones were probably based in Fife. The name Venicones means the ‘bright hounds’. There are examples of a dog’s head carved on items of Pictish silver found in Fife, a carving at the Weymes caves and a Pictish stone at Strathmiglo. As I have explained in a previous blogpost, the 63 acre Roman marching camps seem to withdraw from Keithock down to the area of Dundee and across the River Tay into Fife. The name Carnoustie, a town on the coast to the east of Dundee, may have something to do with the name Boresti. The etymology of Carnoustie is unclear. The Gaelic is supposedly Carn Ustaidh, which is simply a Gaelicisation of Carnoustie. The earliest record of Carnoustie is Carnowis in a royal charter in 1510. However, there are other spelling variations including Karnousty and Carnowstie. The name may mean the ‘horn of the esti’. This would refer to the horn of land to the west of Carnoustie at the entrance of the Firth of Tay. There’s another placename to the west of Carnoustie called Ardestie. This would mean the height or high place of the esti. There’s a Pictish souterrain at Ardestie. The name Boresti might mean ‘over the estuary’. As such, the hillfort of Dundee Law would be a likely location for their capital. The Scottish historian, Hector Boece, explained that the ancient name of Angus and the Mearns was Horestia or Forestia. He explained that Dundee was in Horestia. The Vacomagi were supposedly based in Strathmore, which includes Angus and the Mearns. The Boresti are not mentioned on Ptolemy’s map, which dates to the 2nd century AD, so they were probably a minor tribe during the Roman invasion around 80AD. If the Boresti were based in the area of Dundee, it strengthens the case that the battle of Mons Graupius took place at the Caterthun hillforts, just to the north of Keithock.