Fort Augustus is a settlement in the Scottish Highlands, at the south west end of Loch Ness. The village has a population of around 646 (2001) [1] (http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/sz/fortaugustus.htm). The village is heavily reliant on tourism.
The settlement was originally named Cille Chumein, after Saint Cummein. After the defeat of the Jacobite uprising in 1715 a fort was built in the village from 1729 to 1742 and the village was renamed after the fort to Fort Augustus. The fort is named after William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, one of the sons of George II. The fort was captured by the Jacobites in April 1745, just prior to the Battle of Culloden.
The actual fort was sold to the Lovat family in 1867 and in 1876 they passed the site and land onto the Benedictine order. The monks made an abbey from the fort and later constructed a school there, but abandoned the site in 1998. For several years after that it was owned by Terry Nutkins.
The village was served by a rail line to Fort William from 1903 until 1946, built by the North British Railway, but initially operated by the Highland Railway. The Caledonian Canal connecting Fort William to Inverness passes through Fort Augustus in a dramatic series of locks stepping down to Loch Ness.
External links
http://www.fortaugustus.org/
Invergarry and Fort Agustus Railway (http://www.railscot.co.uk/Invergarry_and_Fort_Augustus_Railway/frame.htm)
FORTAUGUSTUS stands on the Southern shore of Loch Ness.
It was named after the Kings son, William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland who became known as The Butcher after his victory at the battle of Culloden.
The village of FortAugustus is situated at the heart of the Great Glen in the Highlands and is an ideal centre for all kinds of holiday pursuits such as golf, walking, climbing, etc., or as a base for exploring the magical mountains and hills by road..
The Fort that gives FortAugustus its name was one of a series of forts built by the Hanoverians to secure the Great Glen; Fort George near Inverness, FortAugustus in the heart of the Glen and Fort William at the southern end.
Within the fort, life was good, there was plenty to eat and even horse races were organised while all around the area people starved to death, especially in the dark winter of 1746.
Wade's fort at Kilchuimen - the old name for FortAugustus, was not long to remain a place of war but was in fact destined to become a place of great peace, a Benedictine monastery for monks whose motto is 'pax' - peace.
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