Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus, a village on the Caledonian Canal, at the head of Loch Ness, 33 miles SW. of Inverness. A barrack built here in 1716 to awe the disaffected clans was enlarged in 1730 by General Wade, who named it Fort Augustus, out of compliment to William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. The rebels captured and dismantled it in 1746, but it was soon restored, and garrisoned down to the Crimean war. In 1857 it was sold to Lord Lovat, whose son nineteen years afterwards presented it to the Benedictines (q.v.); and by them during 1876-82 it was converted into a stately abbey, college, and hospice.