July 25, 2020

Places Near Fort William Highlands

The three forts of Fort George, Fort Augustus and Fort William, period the Great Glen of Albyn, which cuts the Scottish Highlands in 2 from coast to coast. The Great Glen has provided a normal highway for east to west communications through the earliest of that time period. The forts however were built because of the government to pacify the Highlands over Jacobite unrest therefore the subsequent rebellions which adopted, between your belated 1600’s to your middle 1700’s.

Following the Union of Crowns of Scotland and England in 1603, here stayed considerable assistance for Stuart monarchy in Scotland. Supporters of this exiled Stuart kings had become referred to as Jacobites, from Latin ‘Jacobus’ or James, the traditional first-name associated with the Stuart leaders. Jacobite unrest began nearly instantly the Catholic James VII of Scotland, and II of England, had fled to France in 1688 to look for the security of Louis XIV.

Fort William, which lies on western end associated with the Great Glen, ended up being 1st for the forts become built, built in stone around 1698. It withstood a siege during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 and had been afterwards utilized while the base when it comes to hunt of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Little remains associated with fort these days as city’s railway station ended up being built upon the first site. Not the prettiest of cities, Fort William has become among Scotland’s main traveler centers and the western Highland Museum contains some exceptional examples of Jacobite memorabilia. Areas surrounding Fort William nonetheless can simply be called spectacular. Through the snow-topped towering mass of Ben Nevis into classic, and much filmed, great Glen Nevis, featured in both Rob Roy and Braveheart.

At the scenic southern end of Loch Ness today stands the town of Fort Augustus. These days, little keeps associated with original fort of that name as the components were used inside building of Benedictine Abbey in 1876. The Abbey structures remain, nonetheless its neighborhood of monks remaining in 1998. Fort Augustus ended up being built after the 1715 Jacobite uprising and had been named after certainly one of King George II sons, William Augustus. Ironically, it was that self-same son just who gone back to the fort called after him thirty years later on, and proceeded to destroy the entire ancient Highland clan system after their victory at the Battle of Culloden. Better-known due to the fact Duke of Cumberland, their intense repression regarding the Highlanders obtained him the nickname of ‘Butcher’.

Following the 1745 rebellion, the government bought the building of this massive Fort George, which appears proudly on a spit of land during the entry of the Moray Firth, only 11 kilometers north-east of Inverness. It was the final associated with three forts becoming built and was sooner or later completed in 1769, wherein time the Highlands were fairly peaceful. The fort ended up being kept in use as a military barracks, since it is even today, and remains practically unchanged. Probably the best continuing to be illustration of artillery fortification in European countries, usually the one mile of ramparts additionally the 42 acres they enclose, have to be walked is totally appreciated. Whilst regarding ramparts keep a keen watch for the 100 roughly bottlenose dolphins that call the Moray Firth house. Presently within the proper care of Historic Scotland.

The greater energetic traveller are now able to take pleasure in the preceding places at unique speed, because of the opening associated with 73 mile long Great Glen Way in 2002. This cross country footpath covers the truly amazing Glen of Albyn from Inverness to Fort William, working over the banks of Loch Ness and towpaths regarding the Caledonian Canal.

Ways to get right here:

Fort George: 11m NE of Inverness near the town of Ardersier in the B9006. Signposted from the A96 within Gollanfield Junction

Fort Augustus: Fort Augustus is situated in the A82, 33 miles from Fort William and 34 miles from Inverness.

Fort William: 65 kilometers south-west of Inverness, 105 miles north of Glasgow, 145 miles from Edinburgh (approx. 3 hours drive), 50 kilometers north of Oban

Castles in Scotland Kindly follow the following backlink to see our interactive chart showing the positioning of greater than 100 Castles in Scotland.