Fort William, Cameron Square, Kennedy Monument

Photographs of buildings in Fort William by the Scottish National Buildings Record in June 1964.

NN 10151 73890 (centred on) A watching brief was undertaken, on 11 June 2013, during ground investigations associated with a planned town regeneration project. Cameron Square, once known as Church Square, was the original site of the 19th-century Kennedy Monument and borders the site of the now demolished old Town House. Despite the narrowness of the test pits and bore holes, a small cobble-lined drain was identified.

Report: Highland HER and OASIS

Funder: Capita Symonds

Mary Peteranna, Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services, 2013

(Source: DES)

NN 10151 73890 (centred on) A watching brief was carried out in February 2014 during development work undertaken as part of a refurbishment project. Due to the methodology employed by the contractor, the watching brief and archaeological work was conducted in sections over a three week period.

The desk-based assessment identified numerous changes to the site during the development of Fort William. Cameron Square had been originally known as Church Square with a church at its SE end and the Kennedy Monument at the NW end. The Kennedy Monument had been erected in 1852 in memory of Dr William Kennedy, a local physician who died in 1851, to honour his contributions in treating the victims of a typhus outbreak. The church was later converted for use as the Town Hall. In 1965, the Kennedy Monument was taken down and the square was converted for use as a car park, and in 1975 the town hall burnt down. The square is currently an open pedestrian area.

During the watching brief, the remains of the Kennedy Monument plinth and an associated V-shaped drain were uncovered, in addition to a cobbled lane running along the S side of the square.

Report: Highland HER, OASIS and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Highland Council

Mary Peteranna and John Wombell – Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services

(Source: DES)