Fort Augustus

Village in Highland unitary authority, Scotland on the Caledonian Canal at the head of Loch Ness, 53 km/33 mi southwest of Inverness; population (2001) 500. A series of lochs runs through its centre. It was the site of a military base founded in the early 18th century, which now serves as a heritage centre dedicated to the area's history and social development.

An English garrison was first set up in 1716, followed by a regular fort erected in 1729 by the English military engineer George Wade, and named after William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. The fort was taken by the Jacobites in 1745, but reoccupied after the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Culloden.