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Inverness, a city in northern Scotland that today has a population of around 58,000, built its first Fort George in 1727. This initial Fort George incorporated the ruins of a medieval castle that had been partially refurbished as a stronghold by Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) sometime in the mid-17th century. Fort George II was intended to be built in the same location, but Inverness Council wanted money first, so an alternate location was found at Hillhead near Ardersier, about 11 miles northeast of Inverness.
A fortification was needed in this part of Scotland to help throw English weight around in the aftermath of the Second Jacobite Rebellion (1745). The Jacobite Rebellions (an earlier such Rebellion, or Rising, depending on who you're talking to, had taken place in 1715) were attempts to return the Stuart family back to the English and Scottish monarchy.
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The Battle of Culloden, the last major battle to be fought in the UK, had raged on April 16 1746. This battle had quashed the hopes of the House of Stuart to overthrow the House of Hanover in Great Britain. Some 1,000 English soldiers were brought in to both build the new fort and defend it from attack if necessary. Fort George was completed in 1759 at the cost of 200,000 Pounds, over twice its original estimate and more than all of Scotland's GNP at the time.
And by the time Fort George was finished, it was pretty much unnecessary. Things had calmed down to the point that a strong English presence in Scotland wasn't absolutely essential to the peaceful continuation of Great Britainedness, but they had this enormous, vastly expensive and incredibly cool fort there, so they darned well used it.
Fort George today is much the same as it was when completed in 1769 (although I'll bet they've got electricity and plumbing now). In addition to still operating as a British Army barracks, a large portion of Fort George is used for touristy things, such as reenactors and period infantry and musketry stuff. There is also a large collection of regimental colors ("colours" to our British friends), representing a great many units that have been stationed there over the centuries. |
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