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Fact Central

Council area · Scotland

East Dunbartonshire

Explore East Dunbartonshire’s Roman frontier remains, from Bearsden’s bathhouse to the fort at Bar Hill.

Quick facts

Type of place
Council area
Nation
Scotland
Official identifier
gss:S12000045

Overview

East Dunbartonshire is a council area in Scotland, distinct from the Greater Glasgow settlement. The Antonine Wall crossed what is now the council area. Later history includes Kirkintilloch’s Lion Foundry and puffers on the Forth and Clyde Canal.

East Dunbartonshire is a council area in Scotland.

Population and demographics

Land area
174.49 km²

Figures for . NRS mid-2025 administrative areas; land area from ONS SAM through 31 December 2024.

National Records of Scotland · nrs-mid-2025 · Table 4!E15 (binary spreadsheet decimal rounded to 6 dp). Released 14 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: National Records of Scotland. Crown copyright; Open Government Licence v3.0.

Population
109,550 people

Figures for . NRS mid-2025 administrative areas; land area from ONS SAM through 31 December 2024.

National Records of Scotland · nrs-mid-2025 · Table 1!E17. Released 14 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: National Records of Scotland. Crown copyright; Open Government Licence v3.0.

Population density: 627.8 people per km²

Calculated from the population and land area for 30 June 2025, using figures from the same release and covering the same boundaries.

Traces of the Roman frontier

Built from around AD 142, the Antonine Wall formed a Roman frontier between the Clyde and the Forth. At Bearsden, a bathhouse and latrine block survive, while New Kilpatrick Cemetery contains rampart foundations. Peel Park in Kirkintilloch marks another former fort site, although the fort itself is no longer visible. Bar Hill, near Twechar, retains a fort platform, east gate, headquarters and bathhouse. Decorated distance stones recorded the legions’ building work and dedicated it to Antoninus Pius. Together, these remains and inscriptions give different kinds of evidence for the Roman frontier.

Sources

  1. Places to visit in East Dunbartonshire — East Dunbartonshire Council. The Antonine Wall crossed what is now East Dunbartonshire. (Antonine Wall and canal heritage). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. ONS local authority districts December 2025

    Office for National Statistics · lad-december-2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0 Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025.