Fort Haldane is located near Port Maria in the parish of St Mary, Jamaica.
It was erected in 1759 and named after General George Haldane, then Governor of Jamaica.
The fort was constructed to protect the harbour of Port Maria from Spanish raids.
The fort was in active service from 1759 until 1780 when a hurricane destroyed the storerooms, barracks, and main garrison building.
It was also used as a garrison to keep the enslaved and working classes of St Mary under control.
Fort Haldane served a pivotal role in Tacky's rebellion, one of Jamaica's bloodiest rebellions against slavery in 1760.
On Easter Sunday, Tacky and a small group of slaves murdered their masters and marched to Port Maria where they killed the guards at Fort Haldane and stole several barrels of gunpowder and firearms.
They fought alongside hundreds of other slaves and Maroons for five months.
Their rebellion was ultimately quashed by the more powerful British and the death of Tacky in a fierce gunbattle.
By 1780, the threat of Spanish attack on the North Coast of Jamaica had largely waned, and the decision was made to abandon the fort and relocate the garrison to nearby Ocho Rios.
This is one of the cannons at Fort Haldane.
Governor Haldane was actively involved in the design of the fort.
As a highly decorated veteran of many major field battles, Haldane was an expert in artillery and ballistics.
The port harbour of Port Maria could be successfully defended by the use of two high-accuracy cannons placed 1,000 ft above sea level at Fort Haldane.
The cannon carriages were mounted on turntables to permit side-to-side aiming, and a track to allow for cannon recoil.
The ability to move the cannons almost 180 degrees across the horizon eliminated the need for a multi-cannon arsenal, while providing the highest degree of protection from enemy attack.
Cabarita Island and the port harbour of Port Maria
It was said by locals that a cannon ball shot from Fort Haldane impacted the Cabarita Island
Not confirmed.... Some locals think it's a natural cave