Town defenses

[Kilted Craanen]

Hello all, I'm back. Admins, if you'd prefer to have this in my previous thread, let me know.

I was just wondering what towns such as Dingwall and Dornoch would have had around 1700 in terms of defenses? Would they have had an earth wall, a stone wall, or nothing at all?

Thanks once again!
Daniel

[ThistleDown]

Nothing much in either case, Daniel. Both towns were Royal Burghs by then and very civilised places. Dingwall was overlooked by Tulloch Castle, a fortified residence, but its own castle had fallen into disrepair by 1700 (all that's left today is a corner tower converted to a doo'cot). About the time you are asking about there was a militia barracks at one end of the High Street, but all the old walls were long gone to other uses.

There are some remnants of Dornoch's walling at the east end of the town and, of course, the old castle was at one time surrounded by some walling, but that would not have been very effective by 1700.

[Jock Scot]

If you want the absolute classic defensive position of world renown and is still to this day a working garrison, then look no further than Fort George, just outside Inverness. Built in the mid to late 1700's(started in 1748) and is open to the public and is a "must know about" and if possible a "must visit" place to a person with your interests. No doubt "Google" will have many pages on the subject.

[ThistleDown]

I think I understand what you are seeking, Daniel. The Low Countries of the late 18th and early 19th centuries were still in a state of flux and wars waged back and forth, often involving armies from far away. There was always a need for building and re-building local defences. As a matter of fact at the time of the last 'war' in Great Britain, the Jacobite rebellion in 1745-1746, Britain was away at war in Flanders.

At home in Scotand, however, all was relatively peaceful. The Stewart dynasty made several attempts at returning to the throne in the late 1600s and early 1700s (Jock's Fort George was built to keep those on the Moray Firth under control after the last one), but the clans had pretty much stopped their feuding and the union government was in control of all. No need for walled towns, in other words, and the stones could be used for better purposes.

[Kilted Craanen]

Thanks thistledown! That is exactly it. I'm in a country now where 18th and 19th century fortifications around town are still seen, and I was just confused as to why I never hear about that stuff in Great Britain, but this explains. So if a town would be attacked, it would be fairly defenseless? As in - troops could just walk in and kick the mayor out?