Fort George , Scotland Fort George ( Gaelic : or , meaning literally " the garrison " ) , is a large 18th century fortress near Ardersier , to the north - east of Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland . It was built to pacify the Scottish Highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 , replacing a " Fort George " in Inverness constructed after the 1715 Jacobite rising to control the area . The current fortress has never been attacked and has remained in continuous use as a garrison . The fortification is based on a Star design , it remains virtually unaltered and nowadays is open to visitors with exhibits and recreations showing use at different periods , while still serving as army barracks . Originally the depot of the Seaforth Highlanders and later the Queen ' s Own Highlanders ( Seaforth and Camerons ) , it was more recently home to the Royal Irish Regiment , and as of 2007 , the new garrison of the Black Watch , 3rd Battalion , Royal Regiment of Scotland . The First Fort George . The first Fort George was built in 1727 in Inverness , a large fortress capable of housing 400 troops on a hill beside the River Ness , on the site of ( and incorporating portions of ) the medieval castle which had been rebuilt as a citadel by Oliver Cromwell then abandoned . The first commanding officer of the original Fort George was Sir Robert Munro , 6th Baronet , Colonel of the 42nd Royal Highlanders ( Black Watch ) and chief of the highland Clan Munro . During the 1745 rising the fort was seized by the Jacobites , who had it blown up in 1746 to prevent the Hanoverians from using it as a base . In 1747 Colonel William Skinner , the King ' s Military Engineer for North Britain , let a contract to rebuild the fortress , but Inverness Council made a claim for compensation for the loss of part of its harbour and an alternative site was found . Siting and construction . The site chosen was a level spit of land at Ardersier , about 11 miles ( 18 km ) northeast of Inverness , which forms a promontory jutting into the Moray Firth and controls the sea approach to Inverness . With its own harbour below the walls , the fort could be supplied by sea in event of a siege . Work began in 1748 , with Colonel Skinner in charge , and the Adam brothers , John , Robert and later James , acting as contractors , overseeing around 1 , 000 soldiers who provided labour and defended the site against attack . By 1757 the main defences were in place and Fort George was finally completed in 1769 . The original budget was £92 , 673 19s 1d , but the final cost was more than £200 , 000 , a vast figure for the time . There would be no more Jacobite rebellions for the fort to control and it became a base for the Highland regiments recruited from the clans in the same way as the Black Watch Fortifications . The fortifications form an example of defence in depth . The main walls are stone faced , in plan faceted and angled with projecting bastion s and redoubt s so that every wall face is covered by fire from guns sited on top of other walls . The walls are many yards wide and grassed over , on top of barrel vaulted casemate s which form underground bunker s designed to protect the entire garrison from artillery fire . The approach to the fortress from the landward side is across a wide area of loose shingle , unsuitable for siting heavy guns , so that besieging artillery is kept out of range . Sloping grassy banks designed to absorb artillery shells all but hide the fort from view . The entrance is reached via a ravelin , a free standing defensive structure incorporating a guardhouse and completely exposed to fire from the main fort , then by a raised wooden walkway , complete with drawbridge , bridging across a wide ditch set between heavily defended bastion s . The ditch forms a wide killing ground openly exposed to gunfire from these walls . Visitor access . The barracks are still in use as a military establishment , but much of the site is open to the public ( entrance charge ) . Historic Scotland use part of one of the barracks to display reconstructions of life in the early days of the fort , and the Grand Magazine displays the Seafield Collection of Arms as well as forming a stage for actors recreating the lives and stories of soldiers in the 18th century . Highlanders ' Museum . The former Lieutenant Governors ’ House is home to the Highlanders ' Museum , the official regimental museum of the Queen ' s Own Highlanders and Lovat Scouts . The exhibits include uniforms , weapons , medals , World War I memorial plaques known as “ death pennies ” , photographs , paintings , memorabilia and regimental regalia . Displays include the history of the regiments , their links to the clans , the Highland charge , Sergeant Alexander Edwards and other notable regimental members , and the regiments ' activities in different conflicts . The regimental Chapel is also open to visitors , and features many regimental colours and memorials . External links .