Everything To Know About Fort Fincastle (in Nassau)

Perched atop Bennet’s Hill, the highest point on New Providence Island, Fort Fincastle is one of the many forts watching over the capital of The Bahamas. Most visitors to Nassau will stop by the Queen’s Staircase. If you continue up that staircase, you’ll reach the historic Fort. While Fort Fincastle is small, its a worthwhile stop on a tour of Nassau, whether as a port stop on a cruise, or a longer stay on the island. Regardless if you’re here for the history, or just want to take in some of the best views of the island, don’t skip Fort Fincastle on your Bahamas itinerary.

• I’ve written about the various things you can do on a short trip to The Bahamas. You can check it out HERE.

Fort Fincastle – The Basics

• Where? Bennet’s Hill, Prison Lane, Nassau.
• When? 8.00am – 5.00pm daily.
• How much? Admission to the Fort is $5.00 BSD.
• How to get there: Fort Fincastle sits at the top of the highest point on New Providence. The best way to get there is to climb the Queen’s Staircase (15 minutes walk from Nassau Port) and follow the road to the right at the top. You’ll pass a large Water Tower before reaching the Fort.

The History of Fort Fincastle

Fort Fincastle was constructed in 1793, making in the newest fort on New Providence Island. Centrally located, and therefore strategically important, the Fort played a key role in the defence of Nassau Harbour, both from the French and Spanish fleets, as well as pirates and other raiders in the region. The paddle steamer shaped structure was erected under the governorship of Lord Dunmore, Viscount of Fincastle, who came to power in 1787. Dunmore deemed the existing Fort Nassau to be obsolete militaristically and embarked on a massive campaign of fortifying the British outpost. While this started with Fort Charlotte (the largest fort on Nassau), when France declared war on Britain in 1793, the fortification project gained further steam. Fort Fincastle was built, along with a series of small batteries around the island.

As it turns out, Fort Fincastle never saw active conflict. While the Fort remained, Dunmore’s governorship would not be as enduring. Continually at odds with Nassau and London in his later years, he was removed from power just three years after the Fort’s completion and sent back to England.

Despite Dunmore’s short tenure, Fort Fincastle continues to watch over Nassau to this day. By 1898, the Fort was solely manned by the West India Regiment (a garrison of black soldiers assigned under commissioned officers). The Fort later became a jail and lighthouse. Its latter purpose ended as a lighthouse was built on Hog Island (now Paradise Island). Instead, it settled into the role of a signal station, with its prominent flagpole being used to communicate with neighbouring forts and nearby ships.

Inside the Fort

My experience at Fort Fincastle was a bit different to most. It was my last day in The Bahamas and there were showers all throughout the day. I made my way to the Queen’s Staircase where I was caught in a downpour. It eased off just as I got to the Fort entrance. Passing some local vendors, I bought my ticket (bring cash) and headed on inside. While the Fort is relatively small, I didn’t initially see much of the exterior as it started to rain buckets within moments! Luckily there’s a covered area which takes you inside the fort itself. Surrounded by limestone walls (the same limestone that was used to built the Queen’s Staircase), there’s a short video you can watch in here that provides an overview of the Fort’s history.

• Speaking of the Queen’s Staircase, you can read about it HERE.

There’s not much else to see inside the Fort, but it was a good place to stay dry. I was eventually joined by a tour group who had the same idea. Their guide spent some time talking more about the history of Nassau and the fort system, so the 25 minutes or so I spent in the tunnels went fairly quickly. One thing I did find interesting were the vents built into the walls, allowing fresh air to circulate throughout the tunnels. I was definitely relieved by that design choice on this stuffy morning in Nassau!

Defending Nassau Harbour

When the rain finally subsided, I spent a bit of time exploring the rest of the Fort. The top deck is exposed to the elements and is where you get the best scenic shots across the island. Despite the weather, I was able to see all the way out to Atlantis on Paradise Island. Throughout the complex, there’s an assortment of plaques that are worth reading to learn a bit more about the Fort and the life of Lord Dunmore. Through reading the information here, I learnt about some of the other Forts built to defend Nassau.

You can actually still visit Fort Charlotte (built in 1789) and Fort Montagu (dating back to 1742) today, though I didn’t have the chance to see them during my stay. While Fort Charlotte is the largest Fort in Nassau, it also never used, its over budgetted design lacking practical use. For this reason it became known as “Dunmore’s Folly” – that Lord Dunmore really couldn’t catch a break!

Back to Fort Fincastle though. While wandering around you’ll see a number of cannons throughout the site. These are all replicas, as the original cannons were returned to England. There’s a few displays that teach you how cannons work – something I actually didn’t understand before my visit. Of course, as Fort Fincastle was never attacked, the cannons at this location were only ever fired for ceremonial purposes.

The Water Tower

While visiting Fort Fincastle, you’re likely to notice the large Water Tower adjacent to the structure. Its a much more recent fixture on Bennet’s Hill, being constructed in 1928. Nowadays its the highest point on all of New Providence Island. It was erected to maintain water pressure on the island. At the time of my visit (and I believe still the case currently), the Water Tower was closed to the public. I believe there are plans to reopen it following a refurbishment in the future. When it does open, it will be worth ascending its 216 stairs for the very best view on the island. Until then, it makes for something different to look at in the area.

As the easiest fort to get to from Nassau, you should stop by Fort Fincastle to see the remnants of the old outpost days. Much like the Queen’s Staircase, there’s not a huge amount to do here, but combining the two sites in a single morning is an excellent start to a day of exploring the capital of The Bahamas. Just try to do it when its not raining – you’ll have a slightly more enjoyable experience than I did!