Like us on Facebook

MENU
Europe
Scotland
Highlands
Aviemore
Ballachulish
Bettyhill
Buckie
Dornoch
Durness
Elgin
Forres
Fort Augustus
Fort William
Gairloch
Glenshiel
Grantown-on-Spey
Helmsdale
Inverness
John O'Groats
Kingussie
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kylesku
Lairg
Lochcarron
Lochinver
Lossiemouth
Mallaig
Nairn
Newtonmore
North Kessock
Plockton
Spean Bridge
Strathpeffer
Strontian
Thurso
Tomintoul
Tyndrum
Ullapool
Wick
Things to do in Fort Augustus


PLACE NAMES




Fort Augustus

View Larger Map
Car Park, Fort Augustus - 01320 366 779
info@visitscotland.com


Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646; its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. The Gaelic name for the modern village is Cill Chuimein and until the early 18th century the settlement was called Kiliwhimin. It was renamed 'Fort Augustus' after the Jacobite Rising of 1715. The accepted etymology is that the settlement was originally named after Saint Cummein of Iona who built a church there. Other suggestions are that it was originally called Ku Chuimein after one of two abbots of Iona of the Comyn clan, whose badge Lus mhic Chuimein refers to the cumin plant, or that it was called Cill a' Chuimein ("Comyn's Burialplace") after the last Comyn in Lochaber.

In the aftermath of the Jacobite rising in 1715, General Wade built a fort (taking from 1729 until 1742) which was named after the Duke of Cumberland. Wade had planned to build a town around the new barracks and call it Wadesburgh. The settlement grew, and eventually took the name of this fort. The fort was captured by the Jacobites in April 1745, just prior to the Battle of Culloden.

In 1867, the fort was sold to the Lovat family, and in 1876 they passed the site and land to the Benedictine order. The monks established Fort Augustus Abbey and later a school. The school operated until 1993 when it closed owing to changing educational patterns in Scotland causing a decline in enrollment. The monks employed Tony Harmsworth to devise a rescue package which saw the site converted into the largest private heritage centre in Scotland which operated between 1994 and 1998, however the heritage centre failed to generate sufficient profit to maintain the buildings. In 1998 the monks abandoned the site, and it reverted to the Lovat family which in turn sold it to Terry Nutkins. He also owned the Lovat Hotel that stands on the site of the old Kilwhimen Barracks, one of four built in 1718. This site houses the west curtain wall of the old Fort, intact with gun embrasures. The Lovat was originally built as the local Station Hotel.



leonedgaroldbury@yahoo.co.ukFeel free to Email me any additions or corrections


LINKS AVAILABLE TO YOUR SITE