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Fort William is the principal town in
the West Highlands. It takes its name from a fort founded
here in 1690 and named after William, Prince of
Orange
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As
a busy centre it offers a wide range of shops
and services, including major supermarkets and
businesses selling outdoor and activity wear,
books, tartans, tweeds, woollens and crafts,
mostly along its pleasant and pedestrianised
main street.
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Its location as a meeting-place
for West Highland
Way
and Great Glen
Way
also means it has a range of pubs, places to eat and
Scottish entertainment. The West Highland Museum in the town's
main square takes up the theme of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the
Jacobites, with many relics from those
times.
On the edge of town, to the
north, The Ben Nevis Distillery and Visitor
Centre marks the entrance to Glen Nevis. Only
minutes down the glen is the Glen Nevis Visitor
Centre (Ionad Nibheis), a countryside and local
heritage interpretation centre (useful for
weather reports and advice if visitors are
planning a Ben
Nevis expedition).
Glen
Nevis itself, with the flanks
ofBen
Nevis rising on one side also
offers superb Highland scenery and a choice of
walking routes. At Banavie
look out for Neptunes
Staircase, and visit the award
winning Lochy
Bar for great
meals
Only a minute or two
further out, on the A830 "The Road to the Isles",
the Caledonian Canal drops down to Loch
Linnhe at a spectacular series of locks, "Neptunes
Staircase", where there is always some canal activity to
enjoy.Chase The
Wild Goose Hostel is a great place to stay. Nearby,
Treasures of the Earth at Corpach is an attraction displaying
fine collections of gemstones and
crystals.
Signs on
the main A82 north of the town point to Nevis Range, the all
year attraction on the slopes of Aonach Mor. As well as
Scotland's highest ski area, Nevis Range features Britain's
only mountain gondola to 2150ft (60m). Making good use here
of the long open slopes of the mountain, Nevis Range also has
Britain's longest downhill mountain bike track, which has
played host to international events. Other activities such as
watersports, angling, golf, riding and trekking are also
available, and there is a dive training centre in the town
itself.
In summary,
Fort William is a town with plenty for visitors and makes a
good base for exploring the spectacular West Highland
scenery
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