- Location: Near Ardersier, Inverness IV2 7TD
- Opening times: 1 April – 30 September 9.30am to 5.30pm, 1 October to 31 March 10am – 4pm (last entry one hour before each closing time).
- Entry: Adults £10.00, concession (65+ and unemployed) £8.00, child £6.00, various family prices starting at £20.00
- Access: Free parking onsite.
The last successful Jacobite action of Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s 1745 Uprising was the siege of the original Fort George in Inverness, which Government forces surrendered in February 1746. The inexperienced, up-his-own-arse, wife-beating alcoholic that history inexplicably remembers as ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ ordered the fort to be blown up so that it couldn’t again fall into enemy hands, and then sauntered off to Culloden where two months later he met his Waterloo.
No one knew that Culloden would be the Jacobites last hurrah, and as uprisings had practically been their hobby since 1689 it was decided to build a bigger, better fort called George, one that could be garrisoned by troops ready to put down any hint of rebellion. Rebuilding in Inverness had been briefly considered, but ultimately a promontory stabbing out into the Moray Firth at Ardersier was chosen for its strategic location. It was just ten miles from Inverness, it formed the eastern point of a route along the Great Glen already defended by Forth William (west) and Fort Augustus (centre), and being on the Moray Firth meant that it could be accessed by sea and receive support from the Royal Navy in the event of an attack. On a practical level the site was big enough to house large numbers of troops, offered a wide and clear field of fire, and was inexpensive.
Fort George was designed by William Skinner, considered the top military engineer of his day, and the architects were the celebrated Adam family (not the creepy, kooky ones). William Adam and his sons Robert, John and James had already carried out work on Edinburgh, Stirling, Dumbarton, and Blackness castles, so knew a thing or two about fortifications. William died a year into construction, but his sons guided Fort George to completion. The other Adam brothers were overshadowed by Robert, the undoubted star of the family. The sheer number of commissions he received meant he practically redesigned the city of London in the 18th century, although much of his work has now been demolished. My favourite of his surviving works is the famous and much photographed Pulteney Bridge in Bath.
Initial plans were drawn up in 1747, the first stone laid the following year, and the project was completed in 1769. It ran hideously over budget, eventually costing over £200,000, the equivalent of over a billion in today’s money. And not once did it ever see action. Not a single angry shot was ever fired at it, or from it. Indeed, the political situation had changed so much since construction began that peace had long since come to the Highlands and some of the Government troops initially barracked at Fort George had once fought on the opposite side at Culloden.
Fort George was previously home to the Seaforth Highlanders and the Queen’s Own Highlanders, and is still an active military base, being the battalion headquarters of the Black Watch. In 1964, Historic Environment Scotland’s predecessor the Ministry of Public Buildings & Works took over the maintenance of the fort from the Ministry of Defence, and the site opened to the public while continuing as a working barracks. That same year, the fort was recognised as an Ancient Monument, which is surely stretching the definition of that adjective considering the finished product is less than 200 years old. In 2016, it was announced the site would cease to be a barracks as of 2032.
Old recruitment posters in the Highlanders Museum. The museum tells the story of the Highland Regiments from just after Culloden to the present day, and has more artifacts than any other UK military museum outside of London.
Fort George comes into view not long after Annie and I swap the A96 for the B9039. Thanks to the curve of the land it briefly looks like it is on the opposite side of the Moray Firth, and is quite contradictory in appearance. It is a long flat structure, and only the roofs of the tallest buildings peep above the parapet. Yet despite this lack of height, it completely dominates the landscape.
This squatness also belies the size of the fort, which is several stages beyond massive. It covers about 42 acres, which is the equivalent, according to a leaflet I picked up at the visitor centre, of forty football pitches. We have a look at a couple of small exhibitions in the casemates and the larger Highlanders Museum, and then spend a good couple of hours just meandering around the wonderfully symmetrical ramparts, which are, if you squint real hard, shaped like a star. Or perhaps a snowflake.
Bronze and Lego models of Fort George, both found on site.
Just in case you think we are particularly slow walkers, we did have a few stops along the way, for example, to scan for dolphins in the firth (no joy whatsoever), visit the garrison chapel, and stop for a bite at the café. Annie has the soup, and I plump, as is often my wont when brown sign bagging, for a scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Annie then whiles away some time on her phone while I have a lie down after hearing that the tiny wee pots of jam and cream are £1.10 each. Okay, if I can afford to retire I can afford a couple of scone-enhancing condiments, but seriously…? One place we didn’t get to visit was the dog cemetery, which lies just outside the northern rampart. This is where officers’ dogs and regimental mascots are buried, and as lifelong dog lovers Annie and I would have undoubtedly found it very moving, but looking down from the battlement we could see that some sort of work was going and were not surprised to find the door locked.
Upon completing our circular we were just about to head for the exit when we realised we hadn’t even visited the barracks and military buildings, AKA the fort! So we trotted down the central road past the parade ground and into the blocks of three-story, red bricked buildings which, like the ramparts, were symmetrical in layout. We were the only tourists in this area, indeed the only people, until we reached Barrack Square, where three off-duty soldiers were enjoying the afternoon sun and chatting a doorstep. Some music floated out from beyond an open window across from them, and incredibly, these were the only signs of life at the heart of this huge complex.
Destination or Diversion?
Whether there for the stunning layout and architecture, the history, an interesting walk, or for a combination of all three, Fort George is a destination, no contest. For a fuller themed day out, a trip here can be combined with a visit to Culloden Battlefield, just five miles away, but allow plenty of time to get the best out of both.
