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By road: Fort
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Clan Cameron - Stone Mountain, GA.
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Transport - Sightseeing - Accommodation
On Scotland's west coast, Fort William is ideal for exploring Ben Nevis, the West Highland Way and Glencoe.
It is also the start of the famous scenic journey along The Road to the Isles leading to Mallaig and Skye where you can follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
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By road: Fort
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By coach:
Daily coaches operate to Fort William from Inverness and Oban, with connections from Glasgow and Edinburgh and other places in between. See the Citylink bus timetables online. The bus station in Fort William is next to the railway station (by Safeways supermarket). A free shuttle bus service operates 10am - 5pm Monday-Saturday from the railway station to the other end of town.
If you want a day trip from Inverness, you can get the Citylink bus there and back in a day or you can have a guided tour on the Spa Motors coach service (Tel: 01997 421 311 / Fax: 01997 421 983). Children under 16 travel at 2/3rd the adult fare. From 1 June to 30 September 2000 on Mondays only you can take a coach trip from Inverness to Loch Ness, Fort Augustus (short stop), Spean Bridge (short stop), Fort William (only a 25 minute stop), Glenfinnan (short stop), Arisaig, Mallaig (stop for 85 minutes), ferry to Armadale on Skye, return to mainland via Skye Bridge, Eilean Donan Castle (stop for 75 minutes), then return via Loch Ness. Departs Mondays from Inverness at 8am, returns at 7pm. Cost: 20 pounds.
By train:
Fort William is on the Glasgow to Mallaig line. The journey between Fort William and Mallaig on this West Highland Line is said to be the most scenic train ride in the country. The Scotrail web site has information about the West Highland Line. Plan your trip with the official interactive online train timetables.
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Trips can also
be made on an old steam engine during the summer months
and you can visit the Glenfinnan
Station Museum where you can spend the night
and/or dine in some of the old railway cars. The
Road to the Isles web site has travel
details
about this rail journey plus an online
tour
from Fort William to Mallaig. 2001 is the centenary of the completion of the West Highland Line. Contact the Friends of the WHL. |
Travellers' Tips
The West Highland Way is probably Scotland's most famous long-distance hiking trail stretching some 95 miles from just north of Glasgow to Fort William. The Great Glen Way is a newer, interesting long-distance trail between Fort William and Inverness (approx. 70 miles) following the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness.
Ian Pragnell of Bespoke Highland Tours offers good value self-led walking tours, treks, cycling tours and self-drive tours throughout the West Highlands. Options include Glencoe, Mallaig, Arisaig, Ardnamurchan, Road to the Isles, Skye, Raasay and the Western Isles. Trekking along the West Highland Way and Great Glen can also be arranged. You can also take the old drovers' trail to Skye.
 Photo copyright Bespoke Highland Tours |
Accommodation and transport organised as part of your customised package. Bespoke Highland Tours can also provide car hire direct from Fort William if required (handy if you are coming up on the overnight sleeper train from London). Car rental can also be provided from other locations (Glasgow airport, Inverness, etc.) |
Scotland Made Easy can plan a customised itinerary for a self-drive tour to suit your interests, budget and time available. They will book you into recommended accommodation where you are assured of quality, comfort and hospitality - usually in 4 star B&Bs in Scottish homes. Optional 'specials' include a night in a castle, church, lighthouse, country mansion, etc.
Whether you have already decided which places you want to visit or if you haven't a clue where to start, Scotland Made Easy will advise and take care of all the planning for you. They are accredited by the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board.C-N-Do Scotland organises guided walking holidays covering the West Highland Way and the Great Glen from Fort William on Loch Linnhe to Inverness on the Beauly Firth. Also winter and summer holidays, as well as day walks in many places including Glencoe.
North-West Frontiers organises hiking trips in the Highlands of Scotland (small groups, experienced and qualified leaders, choice of accommodation). Hike the Great Glen Way with accommodation each night on a 1930s Belgian barge. They also organise treks on the West Highland Way with 9 nights accommodation.
Highland Voyages have a traditional Scottish boat which offers cruises with accommodation onboard for up to 12 people. Variety of itineraries between Oban / Fort William - Great Glen & Caledonian Canal - Loch Ness & Inverness. Also Hebridean islands, distilleries, castles, whale watching, sea fishing, etc.
Extra activities can be included as a package (hiking, canoeing, rowing, mountain biking). Also available for small parties, wedding receptions, etc. Full details online.Off-road cyclists may like to try the Great Glen Cycle Route to Inverness (just over 75 miles) which has some demanding stretches. Some of the route is on the towpath of the Caledonian Canal. Contact Forest Enterprise - telephone 01397 702 184.
Details of where you can hire bikes in the Fort William area can be found on my cycle hire page.
Car hire is available from Bespoke Highland Tours.
For something special, check out Gran Turismo based in Edinburgh. They have a range of sports cars, classic cars and 4x4 vehicles for hire. Ideal for romantic breaks. Self-drive tours can be customised. Accommodation in friendly country mansions.
Want to visit the Isle of Skye? But maybe don't have much time to fit in with the ferry and train times. Excellent guided tours of the Isle of Skye and west Highlands are available by car with Alasdair Ross based at 6 Olaf Road, Kyleakin, Isle of Skye. Particularly useful if you are staying in Fort William, Mallaig or Kyle of Lochalsh and just have a day to spare to go to Skye or see the mainland Highlands. He can pick you up from any ferry, train, bus or air terminal. Born and brought up on Skye he will give you the inside story on his personal guided tour. More details online.
Yahoo provides weather forecasts for Fort William and Aonach Mor in the Nevis Range.
What to see
The best accomodations, things to do, etc. can be found at www.visitscotland.com .
FORT WILLIAM
The town is can be very busy in the summer. Fort William has always been popular with tourists and since the filming nearby of the movies Rob Roy and Braveheart even more people are flocking to the area.You'll see lots of walkers with backpacks and heavy boots. There are some good shops if you need any kind of outdoor equipment and there are lots of places to buy those postcards and souvenirs.
Opposite the train/bus station there's a Safeway supermarket for all your food requirements. In the main street, between the church and the crazy golf course, there's a little area of green where you can sit down to eat your sandwiches and watch everyone go past. Further down the street, a museum is located near the Tourist Office.
There are banks, newsagents, electrical goods shops, an indoor sports centre and swimming pool, Tesco supermarket and MacDonalds fast food restaurant.
There is an Internet Cafe with Macintosh machines at HotScot Netmarketing, Suite 3 on North Road (opposite the Milton Hotel and next to National Tyres). Phone 01397 700924. Also check out The Granite House and ThingKING at 74 & 76 High Street - Internet access, music, jewellery, clothes, gifts.
Take a cruise from the town pier along Loch Linnhe and see the seals and fish farm (90 minutes, departing 11am and 3pm). Daily cruises from April to October. From mid June there's also a 50-minute cruise around Fort William Bay (3 times a day) and there's an evening cruise from 7pm - 8.30pm to Loch Eil with optional buffet. Telephone 01397 700714. Email: brian@westhighlandseafood.com
Also from the pier (near Crannog's Restaurant which is highly recommended for seafood), you can take the passenger ferry (bikes taken onboard) over Loch Linnhe to Camusnangaul (Bay of the Strangers) in just 10 minutes. Several sailings a day, not Sundays. Only 1 pound for adults, 40 pence for children. 1 pound for bicycles.
Look out for Roamer's Ramblings - Monzie Square - Fort William - for an 'end to end' walking tour of the town in 2 hours. Cost approx. £3 per person. Ask at the tourist office for times.
The Lime Tree Studio Gallery features changing exhibitions of paintings by local landscape artist David Wilson, plus limited edition prints, greetings cards and stained glass art. It is open all year every day 10.30am to 5pm. Admission is free. It is easy to find on Achintore Road (at the west end of the High Street, 10 minutes' walk from the bus and train stations). Tel: 01397 701806. Accommodation and painting courses also available.
Events:
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening from June to September the local Pipe Band plays in High Street at 7.30pm. The Lochaber Highland Games take place in late July and the Agricultural Show is in late August.The UK Open Snowboarding Championships take place 16-17 March 2002 at the Nevis Range Ski Centre. Motorcycle Trials take place in early May every year. Other sporting events include the Lochaber Marathon on 28 April 2002 and Half Marathon in early November. The Glen Nevis River Race takes place in early August.
If you want to explore the surrounding area, take one of the coach tours that operate during the summer. Try Whistle Stop Tours who offer a standard tour beginning and ending at Fort William Tourist Office. Tours are twice daily, 3 hours in length. Stopping points along the 30 mile route are - Old Inverlochy Castle, Banavie, Spean Bridge and Glen Nevis. Cost £7.50 per person. Phone 01397 702804 or call in at 4 Fife Place.
 Photo copyright Lochan Cottage Guest House |
BEN NEVIS
(overlooking Fort William) At 4406 feet or 1344 metres, this is the highest mountain in Britain. Now owned by the John Muir Trust. 'Nevis' comes from the Gaelic word for heaven or clouds, so Ben Nevis could be taken to mean 'mountain with its head in the clouds' or 'cloudy mountain'. The top is covered in snow for most of the winter and spring. The summit is shrouded by clouds for about 300 days a year. |
There is a reasonably simple way to walk to the top on a well-established path, but remember that it will probably be quite cold once you reach the summit. Make sure you have some warm clothes and extra food with you. Read the safety information before you set off and tell someone where you are going - just in case. Ask at the Tourist Office for information about the weather and conditions of the paths. The annual race up the mountain takes place in early September when mad people run up and down in less than an hour and a half. It could take you the best part of a day to walk up there and back safely. Typical times for walkers on the 5-mile track are 5 to 7 hours. It starts at the Visitor Centre by Achintee House. Telephone Mr. MacFarlane 01397 704189. The Half Way Ben Nevis Race is on 15 July 2001, which is followed the next day by the Cow Hill Race. The main Ben Nevis hill race is 1 September 2001.
Mountain-images.co.uk has posters, cards, prints and photos for sale of Scottish mountains including Ben Nevis - click here to see their Ben Nevis poster.
BEN NEVIS DISTILLERY (just outside Fort William)
Guided tours, video presentation, gift shop and snack bar. Open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday all year. Extended opening hours in July and August (weekdays until 7.30pm, plus 10am - 4pm on Saturdays, and 12 noon - 4pm on Sundays). Telephone: 01397 700 200. Large groups should book in advance.NEVIS RANGE
The Nevis Range - 7 miles north of Fort William - is home to a gondola system which takes visitors 2150 feet up the slopes of Aonach Mor in 15 minutes covering a distance of 1.4 miles. Here there's a sports shop, slide show and restaurant. Summer visitors can learn to ski on the dry ski slope. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Rum.Two reasonably easy walks start at the top gondola station. One walk is to Sgurr Finnisg-aig (approximately 20 minutes each way) which will give you views of the Great Glen and the hills of Knoydart. The other walk is to Meall Beag (approx. 30 minutes each way) which gives views over Loch Linnhe. Other routes are possible on the Nevis Range, but are really for experienced hill walkers or mountaineers only.
At the base of the mountain (where you get on the gondola) there's a cafe and toilets. From here you can hire a mountain bike and explore some of the 25 miles of forestry track.
Full details of all this, including prices, events, etc. on www.nevis-range.co.uk
CALEDONIAN CANAL AND NEPTUNE'S STAIRCASE
The canal links Fort William to Inverness 60 miles to the north. A series of 8 locks raise boats 20 metres over a distance of 500 metres.CORPACH (just north of Fort William)
Meeting point of Loch Eil and Loch Linnhe. Look out for the loch keepers cottages on the canal. Treasures of the Earth visitor centre - a huge collection of minerals, gemstones, fossils, crystals, etc. displayed in a complex of caves and mines. Open daily from 9.30am to 7pm during the summer season, then 10am to 5pm during the winter. Telephone 01397 77 22 83.
SPEAN BRIDGE (11 miles north of Fort William)
A busy little village due to its location on the main roads to Perth and Inverness. Two miles from the village is the Commando Memorial dedicated to the men who trained in this area during World War 2. Many war movies were made in the surrounding area. For lots of local info and photos, visit the Spean Bridge Home Page courtesy of the Corriechoille Lodge Guesthouse.
The Great Glen Sheepdog Trails take place at Achindaul, Spean Bridge on 20 and 21 July 2001 (tel: 01397 712632).Photo of the Commando Memorial (pictured left) copyright Joanne Mackenzie-Winters August 1999.
ACHNACARRY (13 miles north of Fort William)
The Clan Cameron Museum in the castle grounds at Achnacarry has exhibits on the clan and regimental history, plus Bonnie Prince Charlie and Commando artefacts. Open daily 1.30pm - 5pm from April to mid-October (11am - 5pm in July & August). Admission £3 for adults. Children under 14, free. Senior citizens, £1.50. Tel: 01397 712 480. The Clan Cameron video is for sale online featuring the castle and museum.THE PARALLEL ROADS (18 miles north-east of Fort William)
Continue on the A86 a few miles along from Spean Bridge (heading east) and take a left turning at Roy Bridge onto an unclassified road into Glen Roy. After about 5 miles on this twisting road you will reach a car park and information board from where you will have a great view of the valley and spectacular parallel lines along the hillsides. In fact these aren't real roads. They were created as the ice melted at the end of the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago. This geological phenomenon is unique in Britain and is apparently well worth the detour.INVERGARRY (north-east of Fort William on the way to Fort Augustus)
A Visitor Centre opened in the summer of 1999 telling the story of the people who lived in the glen, and the landowners such as the MacDonells of Glengarry. It has been built on the site of the old inn next to the Invergarry Hotel on the main road. Opening hours: daily 10am-5pm, June to September. For info about the centre, telephone 01809 501424. Invergarry Castle now lies in ruins.
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GLENFINNAN
(19 miles west of Fort William) More info about Glenfinnan on the Road to the Isles Online Tour |
Located at the head of Loch Shiel, the Glenfinnan monument is visible from the railway line when you come over the viaduct. Topped by a kilted Highlander and built in 1815, it marks the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie unfurled his Jacobite standard on 19th August 1745 at the start of his campaign to regain the throne for the House of Stuart. Visitor Centre owned by the National Trust of Scotland open April - October (tel/fax: 01397 722250). This is featured in Bonnie Prince Charlie video for sale online retracing his steps during the famous 1745-1746 rebellion.
There is also a railway museum here at the picturesque train station. The Glenfinnan Highland Games will be held in mid-August. For details, contact: Mr R. MacKellaig, M.B.E., The Colt House, Glenfinnan (tel: 01397 722234).
For more local information, visit the web site by The Prince's House Hotel and Flora's Restaurant
More info about Glenfinnan on the Road to the Isles Online Tour
ARDNAMURCHAN
If you are travelling along the Road to the Isles to Glenfinnan and towards Mallaig then why not make the detour into Ardnamurchan, a ruggedly beautiful area which is the most westerly place on the mainland? The local tourist association information is given at ardnamurchan.com
CASTLE TIORAM
The current owner is intent on saving this ancestral home of the Macdonalds of Clanranald in Loch Moidart from further decay. Full details of its history, archaeology and architecture with lots of photos are given on the official Tioram conservation project web site.
KINLOCHMOIDART ESTATE
Set in extensive gardens on a 2000-acre estate, Kinlochmoidart House is a unique baronial mansion designed by famous architect William Leiper in 1884. Today you can rent six self-catering properties ranging from cosy cottages in the grounds to parts of the main house itself (which can accommodate up to 18 guests). Just an hour from Fort William and a few miles from to Castle Tioram, the estate has lots to offer including fly-fishing. Weddings can also be catered for in the Indian Marquee. Please note that the house is not open to the public, but can be rented for vacations.
South of Fort William
BALLACHULISH (about 15 minutes drive from Fort William)
The village is surrounded by magnificent scenery. In the Tourist Information Centre you can learn all about the local slate quarries.Across the bridge, you can visit the local confectionery factory which has a visitor centre where you can sample 24 flavours of the Scottish delicacy called tablet, plus items such as Great Glen Chocolate Truffles and Coconut Ice. Open daily all year round (except Sundays in the winter). Nearby is The Scottish Speciality Food Shop which has the largest range of Scottish foods in the world.
The Highland Mysteryworld visitor attraction located on the shores of Loch Leven off the A82 road includes Astromyth Theatre, Roots of Rannoch, Clootie Well and a Mystery Mall which all sound very intriguing. There's also an adventure playground, creche, hotel, bistro, watersports centre and indoor swimming pool. For more details, see their web site or telephone: 01855 811 660 / fax: 01855 821 463. Nearby is Cnocan Dubh, the remains of an Iron Age fort.
Just before you reach Ballachulish went travelling south from Fort William, you will pass the Corran ferry which goes over to Ardgour and is a useful short cut to getting into Morvern and Ardnamurchan.
GLENCOE
Here you will find some of Scotland's best mountain scenery. Whatever the weather and time of year, it always appears spectacular. The Glencoe Ski Centre is 12 miles south of Glencoe Village. There's the Scottish Museum of Skiing and Mountaineering at the base station where you can take the chairlift up into the hills.Glencoe is also an excellent place for rock climbing and hill walking during the summer. Why not follow the trails to the Lost Valley and the Devil's Staircase? Make sure you are well-equipped for being in the mountains and know where you are going. Bev Mercer has devoted a web page to walking in Glencoe.
If you would like to go on an organised guided hiking trip or day's climb in these mountains, then contact C-N-Do Scotland.
Bespoke Highland Tours arranges good value self-led walking tours and treks, plus cycling tours in the Glencoe area. Trekking along the West Highland Way and Great Glen can also be arranged.
Visit GlencoeScotland.com for information about the area, accommodation (inn, guest house, self catering, etc.), bike hire, etc. This site also includes details of the Glencoe Studio Gallery which is open to the public most days of the week.
 Photo copyright Bespoke Highland Tours |
Known in Gaelic as the Glen of Weeping, Glencoe has also been called the Valley of the Shadow of Death for historical reasons. |
The Visitor Centre run by the National Trust for Scotland includes a gift shop and video explaining the historical background to the infamous massacre of the MacDonalds by the Campbells and British Army on 13th February 1692. As far as I know the Visitor Centre is open daily all year round. During the summer season (mid May to end August) it is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm. The opening hours are slightly shorter at other times of the year. For details, telephone 01855 811307 or 01855 811729. To read a detailed history of the Glencoe Massacre, click here for Electric Scotland's info.
In Glencoe village itself, a small group of people gather each year to commemorate the anniversary near the monument to MacIain of Glencoe. Also in the village is a small folk museum.
Crafts & Things, just a few hundred yards outside the village, sells Scottish woollens, local crafts, and unusual gifts. Coffee shop also on the premises.
RANNOCH MOOR
I drove through here once on a coach. It was as though we had entered the set of a science fiction film: a vast plateau strewn with rocks and boulders. Pools of water were dotted on either side of the road, some containing tiny islands bearing clumps of windswept trees and each worthy of preservation on a postcard. Weird, wild and unearthly, it seemed the sort of place where you could easily disappear and never be found. Overlooking the glacial moonscape were the Grampian mountains, dark and sinister, occasionally glistening as the evening sunlight caught the wet rock. Most wonderful and definitely well worth a trip!To read about local walks, wildlife and the railway, click here for the article which was kindly written especially for my Guide by Mr. A. Cunningham of Rannoch School.
Also visit rannoch.net (external web site).KINLOCHLEVEN
This is a popular place for walkers on the West Highland Way. Located at the end of beautiful Loch Leven. Visitor Centre for the history of the aluminium smelter which was established here in 1904.The Tailrace Inn at Riverside Road, Kinlochleven offers food all day long and also accommodation (on a room only basis or B&B) - more info on their web site. Bus to/from Glencoe. Live entertainment in the bar on certain nights.
APPIN
Famous for the murder dramatised by Robert Louis Stevenson in his novel "Kidnapped". The incident occurred in 1752 when Colin Campbell of Glenure ("The Red Fox") was shot and fatally wounded. His assailant escaped and an innocent man was tried, then hung some months later. If you want to see where James Stewart was hanged, then look for the white stone on a rock plinth just above the road at the Ballachulish Bridge.It is said that the name of the true murderer, possibly the convicted man's son, has been passed down through the centuries by word of mouth and Campbell's ghost is reported to have been seen on more than one occasion.
Gardens and Nursery
Near the Appin Police Station you can visit Kinlochlaich House which has the largest Nursery Garden Centre in Scotland. It is open every day (except Sundays from mid-October to March). Also see the Glorious Gardens of Argyll and Bute web site.PORT APPIN
Small passenger ferry to the beautiful island of Lismore (car ferry operates from Oban).
Places further south are described on my Oban Page
Books - Maps - Videos
 From the Scottish Highland Video Series (more....) |
Volume 3 - Around Fort
William Explorer Lochaber on video - places featured: Ardgour - Ballachulish - Banavie - Camusnagaul Ferry - Corpach - Corran Ferry - Fort William - Gairlochy - Glenfinnan - Glencoe - Glen Nevis - Kingairloch - Kinlochleven - Loch Sunart - Onich - Resipole - Spean Bridge & Commando Monument - Strontian. Volume 6 - Skye &
Lochalsh & Wester Ross |
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The
Ramblers' Guide: Ben Nevis and Glen Coe Highly recommended guide to 30 walks. This book indicates the level of difficulty and type of terrain for each walk, plus points of interest, colour maps and photos with clear, easy-to-follow route instructions. Order your copy from Amazon.co.uk |
Ben Nevis & Glen Coe by Alan Hall is a lovely book with over 100 pages of colour photos covering the local heritage, wildlife and landscape. Not a traditional guide book, but something to give as a gift or savour before or after your trip. Published in March 2000, this is one of a select series of guides covering scenic areas of Scotland.
If you intend to go hiking, particularly in the hills, you will need the scale of maps produced by the Ordnance Survey which is the official map agency of the UK. These cannot be viewed online but can be purchased via Amazon in the UK:
- Landranger Map 0041: Ben Nevis, Fort William & Glen Coe
- Outdoor Leisure Map 038: Ben Nevis & Glen Coe
- Landranger Map 0040: Mallaig & Glenfinnan, Loch Shiel
If you are touring by car you would find a general map more useful, such as the Official Tourist Map for the Highlands of Scotland.
The Great Glen Way by Jacquetta Megarry is a excellent companion book to Scotland's new long distance trail between Fort William and Inverness. Waterproof and compact, this book gives route details, photos, maps, etc. for everything you need to know.
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Scottish
Highlands and Islands Edition of the popular Rough Guide series exclusively devoted to the Highlands & Islands. 496 pages. Published in February 2000. Order your copy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk |
- For suggested routes, get the book called Walk Oban, Mull and Lochaber. Written by Richard Hallewell it is a handy 64-page spiral bound book printed by Collins Cartographic.
- Fort William and Glen Coe Walks by H. Brown.
- The West Highland Way by Anthony Burton and the Ordnance Survey. Covering the famous hiking trail to Fort William.
Don't forget you can browse my selection of Scottish books online.
© VR Enterprises
Stone Mountain, GA.
