Fort William

Situated at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, and alongside Loch Linnhe, Fort William is a busy Highland town. Visitors are instantly aware of the peace, fresh air and beautiful views along Loch Linnhe.

The town itself is relatively small and from practically any point the visitor can still view the surrounding countryside. Due to the popularity of Ben Nevis, accommodation in Fort William gets booked up a long time in advance.

Local buses are operated by Shiel Buses and are included in the Fort William Plusbus rail ticket which is exceptional value considering that buses as far as Spean Bridge, Corpach, Kinlochleven and Ballachulish are included.

If you want to travel on the Highland Mainline, Far North Line or Kyle Line, you can take the Citylink coach from Fort William to Inverness. The coach route passes through the magnificent scenery of the Great Glen, Fort Augustus and Loch Ness.

Photo credit: “Fort William” by Pierre-Selim, CC BY-SA 2.0

Where to visit

BEN NEVIS AND GLEN NEVIS

For the energetic

Note - The section on Ben Nevis is a little complex so read carefully!!

Dominating the town and providing a beautiful backdrop is Ben Nevis. This is Britain’s highest mountain standing at over 4406 feet above sea level which is all the more amazing when one considers that it starts at almost at sea level! It is also one of the largest being 24 miles around the base.

This is a wonderful hill to climb. On a clear day there are views as far away as the Cairngorms, Western Isles and Wester Ross from the summit. Be sure to be properly equipped and prepared for this serious climb.

It is recommended that people new to the hills don’t attempt this mountain between November and May or in bad weather, and stick to the tourist path. It would also be recommended to do some preparation as this is a real mountain experience requiring some fitness and preparation.

A more accessible, less taxing, but equally enjoyable day out is through Glen Nevis, starting from the same location. It's one of the most beautiful valleys in the country, and has fantastic views of the mountain itself.

The Mountain itself, and the mountain visitor centre can be reached from Fort William town centre by local bus number 41 provided by Shiel Buses, who provided excellent bus services in the area (within Fort William PlusBus ticket zone).

The visitor centre is around 2 miles outside town, so while walkable, perhaps not after walking up and down Ben Nevis. Keep a taxi number handy in case you are too tired and miss the last bus back.

There is another path up Ben Nevis but it's longer, more suited to experienced hill walkers and isn't served by any public transport.

NEVIS RANGE MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE

For the energetic, or a more relaxed day out.

The same bus service also serves the Nevis Range / Nevis Resort. However, while it is the same bus, it is in the opposite direction and at an entirely different location on the north side of Fort William, and further out of town.

Look out for the number 41 bus heading towards 'Roy Bridge' which drops you off right inside the resort (within Fort William PlusBus ticket zone).

The Nevis Range resort is another way to experience the mountain environment of the area. This is an all year round ski, mountain bike and gondola experience.

In winter it is ideal for snow sports. The warmer months are great for walking, mountain biking, or just riding the UK's only mountain gondola. The gondola takes you up 650 meters to the summit of Aonach Mor mountain, part of the larger Nevis range, and with views of Ben Nevis itself.

The gondola and the restaurant at the summit provide a great day out for people of all ability levels. Our personal thoughts are not to miss it if you want to get into the hills of the Highlands without actually taking part in serious walking.

FORT WILLIAM TO MALLAIG TRAIN LINE

The railway continues beyond Fort William to Mallaig and is a popular day trip. It can be travelled on the normal train, which gives access to all the stations and more freedom over timings. See our guides to Banavie to Morar and Mallaig.

Alternatively it can be travelled on the extremely popular Jacobite Steam Train.

THE BEN NEVIS DISTILLERY & VISITOR CENTRE

Established in 1825, this is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. It produces single malt whisky and also has a coffee shop, restaurant, bar and shop on site.

It is in Lochybridge at the base of Ben Nevis and offers tours of the whisky making process. Phone for tour enquiries and bookings as their website is in development.

+44(0)1397 700 200

It is around 40 minutes' walk or 10 minutes' bus journey (same route as for Nevis Resort above) from the town. This is within Fort William PlusBus ticket zone.

The Ben Nevis Distillery and Visitor Centre

Photo credit: “2022-07-24_13-29-58_7973” by Pierre-Selim, CC BY-SA 2.0

WEST HIGHLAND MUSEUM

The museum holds significant collections of photographs, writing and artefacts depicting life in the West Highlands through the years from Stone Age to modern day.

CRUISE LOCH LINNHE

To get out onto the water and really appreciate the scenery of Fort William, take a cruise with Cruise Loch Linnhe from the Town Pier. The boat takes passengers for a scenic cruise down Loch Linnhe enjoying the scenery and wildlife including seals.

Looking out across Loch Linnhe from a car park off the A82 in Fort William

Photo credit: “IMGP0333” by Matt Buck, CC BY-SA 2.0

HIGHLAND FERRIES

Also departing from the Town Pier is the short passenger ferry to Camusnagaul Bay, a village on the other side of the Loch. The return trip takes about half an hour and gives splendid views.

Crannog sea food restaurant Fort William

Photo credit: “crannog” by london road, CC BY 2.0

HIGHLAND CINEMA

Located in a traditional Highland style building. This popular venue has mainstream films as well as classics, indie and arthouse films, Event Cinema (opera, ballet, plays and music), and live music and events. It also has a restaurant and bar.

LOCHABER LEISURE CENTRE

This facility has a main pool which is a 6 lane, 25m swimming pool, with an adjacent smaller hydrotherapy pool.