Scotland
but copies are known to have existed in the first century AD so at the least a rudimentary knowledge of the
geography of north Britain would have been available to Roman military intelligence. Pomponius Mela, the
Roman geographer, recorded in his De Chorographia, written circa AD 43, that there were thirty Orkney islands
and seven Haemodae (possibly Shetland). There is certainly evidence of an Orcadian connection with Rome prior
to 60 AD from pottery found at the broch of Gurness.
By the time of Pliny the Elder, who died in AD 79, Roman knowledge of the geography of Scotland had
extended to the Hebudes (The Hebrides), Dumna (probably the Outer Hebrides), the Caledonian Forest and the
Caledonii.
Ptolemy, possibly drawing on earlier sources of information as well as more contemporary accounts from the
Agricolan invasion, identified 18 tribes in Scotland in his Geography, but many of the names are obscure and
annaabi.ee 
