BattlefieldsFort William siege — government holds 1746
Jacobite Risings

Fort William siege — government holds 1746

1746
Inverness-shire, Scotland
Also known as: Jacobite siege of Fort William 1746 · Captain Scott holds Fort William
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Inverness-shire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Jacobites
Forces
Government garrison c.500 (Captain Scott)
VS
Victor
Government garrison
Forces
Jacobite siege force with artillery (Gordon of Glenbuchat) c.1,000
Outcome
Fort William garrison under Captain Scott resists Jacobite siege for seven weeks; fort never taken
The Battle

History & Significance

The siege of Fort William from March to April 1746 was the Jacobites' most significant military failure before Culloden. The government garrison of some 500 men under Captain Caroline Frederick Scott resisted seven weeks of bombardment. The fort could be resupplied by sea through Loch Linnhe, giving it an enormous logistical advantage. Jacobite artillery could not breach the walls. Gordon of Glenbuchat commanded the siege force. The commitment of substantial Jacobite artillery and manpower to Fort William — which could never have been taken — was a serious strategic error, diverting resources from the main army weeks before Culloden.

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