Lieutenant General Wade

Lieutenant General Wade

ID: QZP40_159_491 DESCRIPTION: Lieutenant General George Wade (1673-1748) recognised the need for a good communications system to destroy the Jacobite support in the Highlands. He was employed, after the 1715 Jacobite Rising, to construct a system of metalled military roads and bridges. Between 1724 and 1740 over 240 miles of road and 40 bridges were constructed connecting the mains centres of Perth, Fort William, Fort Augustus and Inverness. The intelligent choice of routes using the natural contours of the land ensured that many of the routes are still used today for walking and mountain biking. Other parts of the network have been built over with new roads following the same route. Large parts of the West Highland Way follow the old military roads. In 1724 General Wade also recommended the recruitment of Highland troops under Gaelic-speaking officers and, as a result, revived the Black Watch. In 1742 Wade became a Privy Councillor and a Lieutenant General and in 1743 he became a Field Marshal in the army. This illustration was taken from 'A History of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments vol. 1' ed. by John S. Keltie PLACENAME: N/A DATE OF IMAGE: 1874 PERIOD: 1740s SOURCE: Highland Libraries COLLECTION: Fraser Mackintosh Collection (illustrations) Asset ID: 30960 KEYWORDS: