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Fort William & Lochaber - Guide

Fort William & Lochaber - General Information

The area of Lochaber is known as the "Outdoor Capital of the UK," a name which is justified thanks to the abundance of outdoor activities available. Whether you like low level scenic walks or are into more adventurous downhill mountain biking, there is something for everyone in the area. Not everything is outdoors though...

Fort William

A few things to do in the area

West Highland Museum: This is right in the centre of town and is really nice. It is an independently owned museum and is just jam-packed full of all sorts of interesting things. Whether it's military history, wildlife or just general history that you are into, you'll find everything that you want to know there. The staff members are really helpful and no matter what obscure question you have they normally know the answer

Treasures of the Earth: This museum is about three miles from the town centre and is an exhibition of gemstones, crystals and such.

Ben Nevis Distillery: Located at the junction of the A82 and A830. The tour is very interesting and informative, even for those who don’t like whisky. At the end of the tour there is a tasting session which is nice if you are a whisky fan. Even if you are not the least bit interested in whisky their little coffee shop is worth a visit for its excellent home baking!

Old Inverlochy Castle: Just opposite the distillery lie the remains of Inverlochy Castle. It is a 13th century castle and is in fairly good condition considering its age. Owned and maintained by Historic Scotland, there's no visitor centre, simply a few boards explaining how the inhabitants lived in the 13th century.

Glen Nevis Visitor Centre: If you take a drive (or bus in the summer) into Glen Nevis you should stop at the Visitor Centre. If you have kids with you, there is a really good section for them where they can learn about various aspects of nature, including animal tracks, trees etc. The proper name of the Visitor Centre is Ionaid Nibheis, so if you are going then look out for the sign.

Nevis Range: Don't be confused about this: the cable cars do not go up Ben Nevis, they go about 2000 feet up Aonach Mor which is a couple of hills along. It really doesn't matter though, as the view is spectacular (especially on a nice day!). Once you get up there, you can have a coffee/beer/meal in the restaurant and/or go for a walk. There are a couple of nice short walks and since dogs are allowed in the cable cars it is good to take the dog out and get some fresh air! For the more adventurous/crazy types then there is a downhill mountain bike course at Nevis Range. The recent mountain bike world cup championships were held there and were so successful that the venue will probably be used again. Of course, in the winter this whole facility turns into a ski centre.

Glenfinnan

Glenfinnan: 15 miles to the west of Fort William, this is a nice small village on shores of Loch Shiel. There is an interesting National Trust for Scotland Visitor Centre there telling you all about Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Rebellions and giving you the opportunity to climb up the Glenfinnan Monument. There is also a lovely museum on the platform of the railway station which is dedicated to the West Highland Rail Line - well worth a visit. The village has been made more famous recently thanks to the Harry Potter films, who not only use the local scenery a lot throughout the movies but also feature the Glenfinnan viaduct on the route to Hogwarts.

Glencoe: Not only is there breathtaking scenery but a good load of stuff to do. The Glencoe Folk Museum is right in the village and is lovely. Just on the outskirts of the village is the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre. The centre tells you all about the Massacre of Glencoe as well as a bit about the surrounding area. Glencoe is not known for walking but there are some nice little walks around a man-made lochan.

For the real outdoor types there is more than enough to keep you going, including skiing at both Glencoe and Nevis Range during the winter (snow dependant obviously), plenty of hill walking, fishing, watersports - and, of course, mountain biking, whether at the downhill course at Nevis Range or on one of the many forest tracks.