The Picts will pay!

Much talk in the news today about walls, and who will (or won't) pay for their construction. So it seemed like a good idea to pop over to my nearest major boundary wall and see how it is faring.

What became known as the Antonine Wall was built on the orders of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. Forming a northern boundary of the Roman Empire across the narrowest stretch of the Scottish (and indeed British) mainland, construction of the 37-mile (60km) wall and associated ditches, supply roads, forts and fortlets started in AD 142.

After only 15 or so years, the order came for the Roman troops to abandon Scotland and return to the previously-constructed and better fortified Hadrian's Wall to the south. The Antonine Wall was abandoned by around AD 165. However, in 2008 it was designated a World Heritage Site. The portion of the Wall visible at Tamfourhill, Falkirk (pictured) is one of the best-preserved stretches today.

There is nothing in the records to suggest that Antoninus Pius stated that the Picts or Caledonians would fund the wall's construction, and one might imagine their reaction would have been similar to their modern-day counterparts in Mexico. It will also be interesting for future generations to see how President Trump's wall will look in 1800 years' time.