Fort George

Welcome to the windswept promontory of the Moray Firth, situated just eleven miles east of the city of Inverness. Here, commanding the coastal landscape, stands the most remarkable military fortification in eighteenth-century…

As we step onto the outer perimeter of this colossal military installation, your initial impression might be one of mild confusion. Looking across the expanse of open, manicured grass, there appears to be remarkably little to see. …

Leaving the comparative sanctuary of the covered way, we now arrive at the first true physical barrier of the fortress complex: an enormous, plunging ditch. Spanning this chasm is the path leading into what appears to be the main…

Standing at the edge of the enormous main ditch, we are confronted by the ultimate physical barrier of Fort George. This vast, plunging trench separates the outer ravelin from the impenetrable heart of the fortress. …

Emerging from the dark, imposing tunnel of the principal gate, we step into the vast expanse of the Barrack Square. The contrast is immediately jarring. …

Leaving the bright, open expanse of the Barrack Square, we now delve deep into the massive stone ramparts themselves. We are entering the casemates, a series of heavily reinforced, bomb-proof rooms burrowed directly into the…

As we walk along the northern flank of the fortress, the bracing, salty wind off the North Sea becomes noticeably stronger. We have arrived at a fascinating architectural feature known as a sally port. …

We now ascend a wide stone ramp to reach the commanding heights of Fort George: the grand ramparts. Up here, exposed to the vast Scottish sky and the sweeping coastal winds, you finally comprehend the mind-boggling scale of the…

Descending from the windswept exposure of the grand ramparts, we seek shelter within the robust, historic buildings that house the Fort George regimental museums. Because this site has served continuously as a manned garrison for…

We have reached the extreme western tip of the colossal fortifications, the very edge of the peninsula where the massive stone ramparts meet the cold, churning waters of the North Sea. Standing here, leaning against the cold…