Fort Charlotte

Fort Charlotte is an artillery fort in central Lerwick on the Shetland Islands.

With bastions on each corner, this five-sided fort is the third structure on the same site; the first built between 1652-3, the second put up under Charles II’s orders in 1665 to hold off an advancing Dutch fleet and the third was erected in 1781 after the second incarnation was burnt down.

The fort is named after the wife of George III. Since the 18^th century, Fort Charlotte has been used as a garrison during the Napoleonic Wars, a naval base, a town jail, a courthouse and a coastguard station.

Today the fort is managed by Historic Scotland and is base for the territorial army in Scotland. Climb up to the battlements and get a fantastic view of Lerwick Harbour and Bressay Sound.