Plan for building a fort at Inverness : on the vestige of an old fort demolished 1746 /
Skinner, William,1700-1780.
Tarrant, Charles,1730-1818.
cartographic

[1747?]
The "Board of Ordnance Register of Plans 1700-1800", attributes this to Dougal Campbell, with the draughtsman Charles Tarrant. However, this is more likely to be one of William Skinner's plans, as according to Chris Tabraham and Doreen Grove, only Lewis Marcell and William Skinner drew up plans for a new Fort George on the old Cromwellian fort site, at Inverness. In addition, while there may be another example of a Tarrant/Campbell collaboration at Fort William (at shelfmark MS.1646.Z.02/29a), which would mean that Tarrant had been known to draw for Campbell, he worked mainly with Skinner, and he had recently done detailed drawings of the destuction at the old Fort George, Inverness (Inverness Castle), for Skinner (at shelfmarks MS.1646.Z.02/36a and MS.1646.Z.02/37a).
According to Tabraham and Grove, "A plan was drawn up by Major Marcell, an Irish engineer, in 1746, followed the year after by another scheme this time drawn up by the newly appointed engineer for the Board of Ordnance in North Britain, Major General William Skinner. The building contract was agreed with William Adam. However, at the last minute Inverness Burgh Council claimed compensation of several thousands of pounds because of the loss of use of their harbour, with the result that Skinner was instructed to look for another site." (Ardersier Point)
The Lewis Marcell plan is at shelfmarks MS.1647.Z.02/83a, with 10 sheets of sections at MS.1647.Z.02/79b,  MS.1647.Z.02/79c, MS.1647.Z.02/80a, MS.1647.Z.02/80b, MS.1647.Z.02/81a, MS.1647.Z.02/81b, MS.1647.Z.02/81c, MS.1647.Z.02/81d, MS.1647.Z.02/81e and MS.1647.Z.02/83b.
There is a copy of this at shelfmark MS.1647.Z.02/82b, done by Thomas Smart, in 1764.
The sheet has two parts. The main panel contains the plan of the proposed fort, the title, year and "References". A panel along the lower part of the sheet contains a profile of an area of the plan, and both sets of scales.
In top right hand corner of plan: hand lettered in box, title and year, and "References", with list of code letters, and names of features on plan to which they refer.
At right hand side of plan: "B.O" with upwards arrow, stamped in red.
At right hand side of lower panel: library shelfmark written in pencil.
In right hand corner of lower panel: scale statement "Scale for the Plan 100 Feet to an Inch ", with scale bar, graded 5-10-100-800 Feet, and written in ink below "Bo.4: Fo: 40".
In left hand corner of lower panel: scale statement "Scale for the Profile 30 Feet to an Inch ", with diagonal scale, graded [0]-5-10-200 Feet, and written in ink below "No. 27".
Has watermarks.
Board of Ordnance. Register of Plans 1700-1800,
Tabraham Chris. Fortress Scotland and the Jacobites, 1995,
Shows the area around Oliver's Fort, near Inverness, Invernesshire.
Board of Ordnance Plans,
Maps, Military