Ruthven Barracks Kingussie Inverness-shire
Ruthven Barracks near Ruthven, Highland in Scotland are the smallest but best preserved of the four barracks built in 1717 after the 1715 Jacobite rising, set on an old castle mound. It comprises two large three-storey blocks occupying two sides of the enclosure each with two rooms per floor. The barracks and enclosing walls were loopholed for musket firing, and bastion towers were built at opposite corners. The first castle recorded to have been built on this site appeared in 1229. By 1371 it formed the centre of activity of Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan and younger son of King Robert II of Scotland. Alexander is more well remembered as the Wolf of Badenoch. He is nororiously remembered for falling out with the bishop of Elgin and in retaliation destroying Elgin Cathedral and much of Elgin in 1390. The first castle at Ruthven was destroyed in 1451, but a second castle was re-built in its place in 1459 as a much grander fortification. The second castle built at Ruthven was fought over during the Civil Wars of the 17th century and was badly damaged by John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee and the Jacobites in the rising of 1689 During the 18th century after the 1715 Jacobite Uprisings the British Government decided to tighten its grip on the Scottish Highlands by building four fortified barracks in strategic locations. Ruthven Barracks was one of them. All of the remains of the earlier castles were removed to make way for the structure you see today. The barracks were completed in 1721. The barracks was designed to house 120 troops, split between two barrack blocks. The officers lived separately to the troops. The stables which stood slightly to the west of the barracks were built in 1734 to house 28 horses for dragoons. By this time the strategic importance had been enhanced by the building of military roads from Perth, Fort Augustus and Inverness that came together at Fort Ruthven. In August 1745 some 200 Jacobites tried to capture Ruthven Barracks. A force o
Size: 5325px × 3607px
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1746, bonnie, charles, charlie, culloden, defeat, destroyed, edward, fortified, fortress, garrison, highland, interest, inverness-shire, places, prince, region, ruined, scotland, scottish, stuart, supporters, travel, uk
