Overview
Stand in awe of Fort George, one of the most outstanding fortifications in Europe. It was built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden (1746) as a secure base for King George II’s army.
The imposing fort was designed by Lieutenant-General William Skinner and built by the Adam family of architects. Fort George took 22 years to complete, by which time the Jacobite threat had subsided. But it has served the British Army for the almost 250 years since.
What to see and do
- Walk around the main rampart, more than 1km in length, which encloses an area the size of five football pitches
- Explore the fort’s history in the Highlanders Museum, Scotland’s largest regimental museum outside Edinburgh
- Enter the grand magazine, designed to hold 2,672 gunpowder barrels and now home to a superb collection of weapons
- Visit the historic barrack rooms to see a graphic recreation of soldiers’ living conditions in centuries gone by
- Enjoy the peace of the garrison chapel, probably designed by Robert Adam
- Don’t miss the dog cemetery – one of only two in Scotland – the resting place of regimental mascots and officers’ dogs
- Look out from the ramparts for dolphins hunting and playing off the point
