Roman distance slab from Summerston, in Monumenta Romani Imperii in Scotia, plate III

In 1766, the University of Glasgow commissioned the Foulis Academy of Arts to produce illustrations of its collection of Roman sculpture from the Antonine Wall, much admired by visitors, including Thomas Pennant. This early dissemination of fragments from the past highlights the University’s contribution to a better understanding of Scotland’s Roman history. Roy’s interest in the stones and in their inscriptions may well have played a part in the commissioning of this work.