it was important in controlling the highland scottish clans, particularly in the jacobite uprisings of the 18th century. this is recognised by the towns of fort william (population ~10,000) in the south, fort augustus (popln. 600+) in the middle of the glen, and fort george (to this day an army barracks), just to the north of inverness. these settlements were built by the british army to control the highlands in the 17th/18th centuries.