The Ham Nomads

12 Jul 2014. <GB-SCT> Ardersier, Inverness —

Went out for an early-morning walk. When we found we were about half-way to Fort George, Warren went back to bring the van up to the fort, and Susie kept on walking. When we got there, we found an amazing place. Fort George was constructed in the years following Culloden, beginning in 1748. It is in absolutely perfect condition, and is currently being used as a barracks for the Queen's Own Highlanders (which means that a few areas are out of bounds to tourists). While we were walking about the fort, we could hear intermittent bursts of automatic fire from the nearby firing range.

The Ditch

Front Entrance and Drawbridge

It was designed by General William Skinner and the Adam family of architects, so is an impressive example of early Georgian architecture. It was also at the cutting edge of defensive fort-building for its time. From outside the fort has a low profile, as it is protected by large earthen embankments, introduced as a response to the introduction of artillery. There is a deep ditch in front of the gate, and this is protected by a bastion to either side, and there is a huge ravelin (another defended mound of earthwork) in front of it, before you could have crossed the two drawbridges and into the gate. The drawbridges were decommissioned a long time ago, but one has been reconstructed for historical authenticity.

The mention of two bastions protecting the gate brings up one overwhelming impression of the fort — its symmetry! As you enter the gate and look across the huge parade ground, this is what strikes you. There is almost perfect symmetry in the design which is only broken by a couple of the later buildings not visible from where you stand at the entrance.

But let's not get bogged down in the pros and cons of 18th century military architecture. The whole place is amazing, and we were rubbing shoulders with members of the Black Watch in the base's cafe!

The 'pritty' chapel was the last structure erected in the fort, and was the one part not planned by William Skinner — his intent was that the fort use the local church at Kirkton of Ardesier. It was likely designed by Robert Adam himself. One quirky thing in this chapel is that, in one of the stained glass windows, one of the angels is playing the bagpipes!

Some of the barracks have been set up as they were in the 1700s. The married quarters for enlisted men was rather primitive -- in a room with four men, one married couple was allowed to set up house behind a slung blanket in the corner. A strange form of togetherness!!

We wandered the fort for about four hours before deciding to move on to Brodie Castle. Before we left, we decided to try to phone English Heritage to find out what had happened to our membership cards. Got through, and found that our membership had not been processed. They will expedite it, and email us within a couple of days with an update. If the cards can't be sent to Lochcarron by about July 24, they will have to be sent to an English Heritage site we nominate to be picked up by us as we pass through.

Got to Brodie Castle at about 2.40pm, only to find that the Campbells had taken over the place for a wedding. People were arriving in full clan regalia, and the sound of the bagpipes was floating over the whole place.

We decided to have an early quiet night, and returned to the common we had stopped at last night. We found our French friends had moved on, but there was a Scottish couple there, with their son's Cocker Spaniel who was all for chasing the 'lapins' we had seen last night!!

Distance driven — today, 34 miles ( 55 km ); to date, 4,053 miles ( 6,533 km )