The Fort, Fort William

Category

Library Item

Item no

24448

Title

The Fort, Fort William

Description

The old military fort that the town of Fort William is based on, can be seen in this picture. The fort sits on a river with rocks and grasslands in the foreground and framed by mountains in the background.

Artist / maker

Valentine, James

Date

1865

Size

11.5 x 18.0 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Fort William has grown from being a military fort, into being the principle town on the west side of the Scottish Highlands. Named initially after William of Orange, when it first arose in 1690 through Cromwell's invasion during the English Civil War, then later, after Prince William, The Duke of Cumberland who was otherwise known as 'Butcher Cumberland' after his role in defeating the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Fort William has, given these origins, considered changing its name however this has not yet occurred.

Today, Fort William is a busy town and its location means that it is a central meeting point for people exploring the area. The 95 mile West Highland Way walk finishes here after starting in Milngavie near Glasgow; The Great Glen Way starts from Fort William and travels east towards Inverness. The town sits near Loch Linnhe, Glenfinnan (which is home to the Glenfinnan viaduct made popular by its inclusion on the Bank of Scotland £10 note and its recent use in the Harry Potter films) and nearby is the Nevis Range, which is popular with skiers

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Related subjects

Landscape > Land > Grassland

Landscape > Land > Mountains

Landscape > Land > Rocks

Landscape > Water > Rivers and streams

Military > Military facilities > Forts and fortifications

Places > Scotland > Highlands

Places > United Kingdom > Scotland

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