Fort George from the sea showing defences
Interior of fort george showing barracks
Ive got to admit, this long summer is making me lazy. I cant even be arsed updating this much really - to be honest it does take longer than it looks if I want to include some interesting information. Anyway, I was lacking inspiration, so I thought ill try and do requests ... If you want me to put up or take a photo of anything thats a) legal [no little kids please!] and b) pratically attainable ill try my best. Just add your requests as a comment below - I may even already have something in my collection.
Due to a lack of recent updates ive given you 2 for 1. From the title you may guess there is a military theme, for this is Fort George which lies on the Moray Firth just east of Inverness. A few miles from the fort was the battlefield of Culloden, when in April 1746 the English army pretty much put an end to anymore Scottish Jacobite uprisings, in what was essentially, much like today, a religious dispute. Despite the decisive English victory, they had had enough, so as a permenant deterrent they decided to build a Huge fort in the heart of the Highlands. This was to be Fort George, an excellent piece of military design and engineering of the time to house 1600 soldiers, taking 21 years and a (today) cost of £1billion to finish. It worked, despite critics saying it never saw action, becasue surley thats the point of a deterrent? Its had many upgrades too as warfare has changed over the years from Napoleon era to the 1st and 2nd world wars and beyond, including the upgrading of guns with some Armstrong ( see "Art for Arts sake") kit. Although its suitablity to new roles has been debated, it was always considered an important stronghold.
Today you get in for the sum of £6.50. Whilst being able to walk all around the walls and some buildings, its most interesting as it still houses army facilities and staff, so you can see soldiers going about their business (smoking, pimping round in Clios, and playing loud music on the saturday afternoon i visited - much like castle leazes). Apparently you can also watch dolphins in the Moray, though i didnt see any.
2 comments:
Photo Request --> Picture of a Badger
aaa steve you and your badger obsession. ive done some research on the BBC
Badger spotting tips
* Look for signs of badger activity - soil spoils, bedding thrown out of setts. Watch out for badger prints - they have five toes with big front claws. Good places to look are along streams where you may find a crossing place with softer mud.
* Once you've located Badger activity and setts, fully explore the area in day time to get the lie of the land. Make a mental note of where the Badger paths radiate from the setts.
* When you return in the evening, don't tread on the Badger trails and avoid leaving your scent in this area. Badgers have a very keen sense of smell.
* Bring a box of matches, strike one and work out which way is 'downwind' of the Badgers and locate yourself there.
* Be prepared to wait, stand against a tree to disguise your body.
* Wear clothes that aren't noisy - no Velcro!
* If you're really lucky, the badger may come out before it gets dark. The female badger has a long, thin neck, slim body and narrow tail. The male or boar is chunkier in size and shape.
* The best time to see badgers is April and May at about 8.30pm.
* Wait for Badgers to return to their holes and leave as quietly as possible so you don't disturb them.
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