Duke is named new patron of the Trimontium Trust

The new patron of the group – which was founded to look after the site of the Roman fort near Melrose and educate others about its historic importance – is The Duke of Gloucester, who will be the first royal patron of the trust.

Dr John Reid, chairman of the Trimontium Trust, said: “It is a great honour for the trust to have a patron of such high standing.

“Trimontium is one of the most important Roman sites in the UK and His Royal Highness will help the us raise awareness of the importance of the unique Roman and native hillfort heritage in the Borders, which is home to not only the important Roman site of Trimontium, but one of the highest concentrations of Iron Age hillforts in Europe.”

The appointment comes at an important time for the trust as construction work starts next month to renovate the current museum spaces housed in the Ormiston Institute in Melrose.

This £1.3 million capital project has generously been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, Scottish Borders Council, Museums Galleries Scotland and many others.

The plans for the refurbished museum include the creation of more display space, a more direct entry into the museum, a much-improved visitor reception space and the creation of new, state-of-the-art digital interpretation of the Roman site of Trimontium, the wider impact of the Romans in Scotland and the important story of the indigenous people they encountered when they arrived.