| Fort George | |
|---|---|
| Ardersier,Highland,Scotland | |
 Fort George from the air | |
| Site information | |
| Type | GeorgianBastion fort |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Location | |
  Fort George Location within Inverness-shire | |
| Coordinates | 57°35′02″N4°04′13″W / 57.58389°N 4.07028°W /57.58389; -4.07028 |
| Height | Up to 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1748–1769 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1757-Present |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Events | Built after theJacobite rising of 1745 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | TheBlack Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland |
Fort George is a large 18th-centuryfortress nearArdersier, to the north-east ofInverness in theHighland council area ofScotland. It was built to control theScottish Highlands in the aftermath of theJacobite rising of 1745, replacing aFort George in Inverness constructed after the1715 Jacobite rising to control the area. The current fortress has never been attacked and has remained in continuous use as agarrison.
The fortification is based on astar design; it remains virtually unaltered and nowadays is open to visitors with exhibits and facsimiles showing the fort's use at different periods, while still serving as an armybarracks.
In 1726, the first fortification known asFort George was completed inInverness on the orders of GeneralGeorge Wade. The Georgian fort, which stood on a hillock beside theRiver Ness, incorporated portions of a medieval castle that had been started byMalcolm III of Scotland in the late 11th century. In the 17th century,Oliver Cromwell strengthened the castle with acitadel but it had been abandoned by the start of the 18th century. Wade's Fort George was capable of housing 400 troops. The first commanding officer of the original Fort George wasSir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet, Colonel of the42nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) and chief of the HighlandClan Munro.[1]
During the1745 rising the fort wasbesieged by three thousandJacobites. Cutoff and unable to be relieved by Crown forces, Fort George was surrendered in February 1746 after mines had reached the outer walls.[2] The victorious Jacobites blew up Old Fort George to prevent it being reused as a military base by the British Army.[3]
In 1747, following the Crown victory at theBattle of Culloden, ColonelWilliam Skinner, the King's Military Engineer forNorth Britain, was given a contract to rebuild Fort George. The decision was taken to build the new Fort George at a location 10 mi (16 km) away from Inverness at the mouth of theMoray Firth.[4] The site of Old Fort George lay abandoned for almost 70 years, until in the mid 19th century a red sandstonecastellated building calledInverness Castle was built on the fort's former site. Despite its towers and battlements, Inverness Castle had no military purpose. It was used as a prison, and courthouse with complimentary bastioned enclosing walls.[5]
The site chosen was a level spit of land atArdersier, about 11 miles (18 km) northeast ofInverness, which forms a promontory jutting into theMoray Firth and controls the sea approach toInverness. With its own harbour below the walls, the fort could be supplied by sea in the event of a siege.[6]
Work began in 1748, with Colonel Skinner in charge, and the Adam brothers,John,Robert and laterJames, acting as contractors, overseeing around 1,000 soldiers who provided labour and defended the site against attack. By 1757 the main defences were in place, and Fort George was finally completed in 1769. The original budget was £92,673 19s 1d, but the final cost was more than £200,000, a vast figure at the time.[6]
The fortifications form an example ofdefence in depth. The main walls are stone-faced, in plan faceted and angled with projectingbastions andredoubts so that every wall face is covered by fire from guns sited on top of other walls. The walls are many yards wide and grassed over, on top of barrel-vaultedcasemates which form undergroundbunkers designed to protect the entire garrison fromartillery fire. The approach to the fortress from the landward side is across a wide area of loose shingle which creates a protective barrier.[8]
Sloping grassy banks designed to absorb artillery shells all but hide the fort from view. The entrance is reached via aravelin, a free-standing defensive structure incorporating aguardhouse and completely exposed to fire from the main fort, then by a raised wooden walkway, complete withdrawbridge, bridging across a wide ditch set between heavily defendedbastions. The ditch forms a wide killing ground openly exposed to gunfire from these walls.[9] The overall effect has been described as "a harmony of pure reason and serene menace".[10]: 412
Following theChilders Reforms, the72nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot and the78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot amalgamated to form theSeaforth Highlanders with itsdepot in the barracks in 1881.[11] In 1961 the regiment amalgamated with theQueen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form theQueen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): the new regiment formed its depot at Fort George at that time.[12] The barracks became the home of theBlack Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2007.[13]
In November 2016 theMinistry of Defence announced that the site would close in 2032,[14] with Defence MinisterSir Michael Fallon commenting that it was no longer needed because the Highland rebellions are over.[15] This was later delayed to 2033.[16]
The barracks are still in use as a military establishment, but much of the site is open to the public (entrance charge).Historic Environment Scotland use part of one of the barracks to display reconstructions of life in the early days of the fort, and the Grand Magazine displays the Seafield Collection of Arms as well as forming a stage for actors recreating the lives and stories of soldiers in the 18th century.[17] The site received 76,169 visitors during 2019.[18]
The former Lieutenant Governors’ House is home to theHighlanders' Museum, the official regimental museum of theQueen's Own Highlanders andLovat Scouts. The exhibits include uniforms, weapons, medals,First World War memorial plaques known as "death pennies", photographs, paintings, memorabilia and regimental regalia. Displays include the history of the regiments, their links to theclans, theHighland charge, SergeantAlexander Edwards and other notable regimental members, and the regiments' activities in different conflicts. The regimental Chapel is also open to visitors, and features manyregimental colours and memorials.[19]
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