Fort George

About this place

Vast 18th-century artillery fortification on the Moray Firth, still an working army base with museum displays.

Built in the decades after Culloden as an overwhelming show of government military strength, Fort George remains one of the best-preserved artillery fortifications of its kind in Europe, and remarkably it's still a working army base today alongside the parts open to visitors. Museum displays within the fort cover its 18th-century construction and its ongoing military role, while the ramparts give sweeping views out over the Moray Firth, where dolphins are sometimes spotted from the walls on a lucky day. The sheer scale of the fortifications tends to impress children more than any single exhibit inside. There's an admission charge, and most of the site is accessible, though the ramparts involve some steps.

Make a day of it — within 5km