Fort George

Fort George stands on a low peninsula beside the Moray Firth, about eighteen kilometres north-east of Inverness. Built after the Jacobite rising of 1745 to control the Highlands, it replaced an earlier fort on the River Ness. Colonel William Skinner supervised construction, while the Adam brothers managed the workforce of a thousand soldiers. Work began in 1748 and lasted twenty-one years, costing more than £200,000 at the time. The fort is a star-shaped bastion with grass-topped ramparts and underground casemates. Every wall face is covered by fire from other parts, and the entrance is reached across loose shingle and a wide ditch. A ravelin, wooden walkway and drawbridge lead into the heart of the fortress. The whole design has been called a harmony of reason and menace. Visitors walk through barracks still used by the army. Historic Environment Scotland shows life in the fort with reconstructions and the Grand Magazine displays weapons. The Highlanders’ Museum in the Lieutenant Governor’s House holds uniforms, medals and regimental colours. The regimental chapel contains memorials and colours, while the Seafield Collection of Arms is shown nearby.