Fort William a guide to biggest town in the Highlands
Fort William is a town in the Highlands of Scotland located in the shadow of Ben Nevis Scotland largest munro (mountain). It is referred to as the gateway to Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis which is home to the famous Steall falls.
Fort William is the largest town in the Highlands but it is small compared to other towns in Scotland it has a population of 10459. Its located on the eastern shores of Loch Linnhe.
Fort William is a great place to base yourself for day trips to other areas. Other areas to visit include Glencoe, Glenfinnan and Inverness. It is also great base if you are planning to hike up Ben Nevis. There is a lot to do in the area if you like to do outdoor activities.
Table of contents
My Top 5 Things to do in Fort William
1. Jacobite steam train
The Jacobite steam train runs between Fort William and Mallaig April until late October. There is one train in the morning in APril and Part of May. However from the end of May until mid September there is normally two trains a day. However due to an issue at the moment with the trains door only morning trains are currently running this season (2024). The train will pass over the Glenfinnan viaduct and you will be greeted with
2. The West highlands way
The west highland way Ends (or starts if your going north to south) in Fort William. This is a 96 mile walk from Milngavie in Glasgow to Fort William. The walk is done by people from all over the world. Its not a walk for the faint hearted and good level of fitness required. However it is well worth it if you are able.
3. West Highland museum
The West Highland museum is a small museum in the centre of Fort William. The museum displays exhibits linked to the West Highland area. It tells the story of the West highlands from its past until the present day. The collections span a wide range of subjects, with a special emphasis given to the Jacobite risings of the 18th century. Entry to the museum is free but a donation although not compulsory is appreciated.
4. cruise on Loch Linnhe
A two hour loch cruise that takes you out to seal island. There is live commentary on board and small cafe serving refreshments. You will experience great commentary (English only) stunning scenery and wildlife on this cruise the views on Ben Nevis and the other mountains in the Nevis range are stunning. Price is £30 per adult and £20 per child.
5. Nevis range Gondola
The nevis range Gondola is the only Gondola in the UK. It takes you up Aonach Mòr Mountain where you will experience beautiful views of Ben Nevis. The Gondola is weather dependent and opening times vary and costs for adults for a one day pass is £24.95 (26-64), Children £13 and 17-25 year olds £20.75.
Other things to do
Glencoe visitors centre
Glencoe visitors centre is less than 20 miles from Fort William and can be reach by car or bus. There is a lot to do here from soaking up the stunning views to learning about the Glencoe massacre, or what about a land rover safari (specific times). Its also famous for its filming locations from Harry Potter, James Bond and Rob Roy to name but a few films shot on location here.
Take a local train to Mallaig
If a trip on the Jacobite is a little too expensive for you the scotrail service does the exact same route as the steam train. You get to see the same scenery for a fraction of the price.
Glenfinnan
A short car, bus or train ride from Fort William is the beautiful village of Glenfinnan. You will find here the beautiful Glenfinnan viaduct, railway museum and the Glenfinnan monument.
Places to eat and Drink
The Grog and Gruel
The Grog and Gruel is a great little pub in the centre of Fort William. Upstairs is a restaurant that is normally open from 5pm. Also its worth noting they don’t do reservations it’s on a first come, first served basis. The night we were there they was full by 7pm. I can highly recommend the grog dog, bbq chicken pizza and the pies. You can eat either in the bar or restaurant (from 5pm) menus same only difference us in the pub section you order at the bar.
Wetherspoons The Great Glen
This is a chain pub under the wetherspoon brand. There are loads of these pubs all over UK some better than others. This is one of the better ones but, its quite expensive for what you get. The drinks are also a bit on the expensive side. However, its an option for a quick bite to eat with lots of options.
Places to stay
Distillery Guest House
The Distillery Guest House is a great place to stay its located just outside the main town centre near the original end of the west highland way. We had a twin room which was en-suite with toiletries provided. A cooked breakfast was included in the price of the room rate. There was also cereals, toast, tea, coffee and fruit juice available. As well as a cooked Scottish breakfast that was cooked to order. It was JB birthday during our stay and they even left him a box of shortbread and a note. This was a really nice touch. This was great little guest house the only negative was the towels weren’t very good otherwise and excellent choice of a place stay and i would not hesitate to stay again.
Myrtle Bank Guest House
This guest house is situated over looking Loch Linnhe you can reach it from train station/bus station by walking along the main shopping street to the end. You then keep walking for a few minute more. This hotel was nice and included breakfast in the room rate. It was also comfy and clean and we enjoyed our stay.
Booking.comNo. 1 Caberfeidh
This small guest house is situated at the top of hill called bank street just off the main shopping street. It was great little place to stay we had a triple room and the room rate includes breakfast. The room was comfy and clean and again we enjoyed our stay here.
Final Thoughts
Fort William is great little town in the West Highlands that has so much to offer. However you need to be physically able to do most of them. Not everything is on your doorstep like it is Edinburgh and most of it is outdoors.
Someone recently said on a facebook post that Fort William was a run down place with nothing to do other than climb Ben Nevis. When people mentioned many of the great outdoor activities that you can do in the area she changed tact. Then she started saying their might be some things to do but its still run down and anyone would be disappointed to visit. I’ve visited 3 times in less than year so yes really disappointed I’ve been on a gondala, hiking in the West Highland way, on the Jacobite train and been to some really nice restaurants and pubs.
The town is small but its anything but rundown there are couple of empty shop units but other than this the area is spotless and beautiful. I think this issue is people dont do proper research. So please do you research before visiting an area then running it down because of your lack of planning.
If you like my Fort william guide check out my Edinburgh guide and my three days in Edinburgh post
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