Fort William
Travel Guide Europe United Kingdom Scotland Scottish Highlands Fort William
Introduction
Fort William is the largest town in the Scottish Highlands and after Inverness one of the biggest in the north of Scotland. It's a major tourist town with some extemely scenic nearby drives and trainrides, as well as a stunning landscape as a backdrop. Fort William has about 10,000 inhabitants.
Sights and Activities
Drummuir Castle
The Drummuir Castle lies in a wooded glen between Dufftown and Keith in the heart of Speyside, Scotland's whisky country. Drummuir Castle was built in 1847 by Thomas Mackenzie for Admiral Archibald Duff, whose distinguished career included service with Lord Nelson. The Castle is a splendid example of the Scottish Victorian architectural style. The romantic roofline with its battlements, turrets and chimneystacks is dominated by the 60 feet high central lantern tower, notable for its Gothic tracery.
Outdoor Activities
Fort William marks itself as the outdoor capital of the UK, with nearby Ben Nevis helping a bit. Activities include walking and climbing, as well as mountainbiking. The famous Downhill Mountain Bike Track is nearby. It is also connected to the West Highland Way from Glasgow and the Great Glen Way, which is a walk/cycle way from Inverness to Fort William through the Great Glen. See Fort William's walk and outdoor guide for more information.
Others Sights and Activities
- If you are a film enthusiast, you can find some great locations in or near Fort William, used in movies like Highlander, Brave Heart and Harry Potter.
- Take the Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig.
- Daytrip to Loch Ness along the road to Inverness.
Getting There
By Plane
The airport near Inverness is the closest one with regular connections to a few other cities in the UK and Ireland. It is served by British Airways (in the form of Logan Air, a franchise partner), Easyjet, BMI, Eastern Airways, Aer Arann, Ryanair and Highland Airways.
Glasgow and Edinburgh are further away, but with more flights. For more info:
By Train
The West Highland Railway stops in Fort William, on its way from Glasgow to Mallaig. On from Fort William to Mallaig, part of the journey goes by special transport on the Jacobite Steam Train.
By Car
The A82 connects Fort William to places north and south of the town and the A830 connects with Mallaig in the (north)west. The latter is also called the Road to the Isles. Loch Ness is along the A82 road to Inverness.
By Bus
Megabus is the main operator for connections througout Scotland. Several buses a day run to and from Glasgow, Oban, Kyle of Lochalsh, the Isle of Skye and Inverness. One a day goes to Mallaig and in summer a couple of buses also go to Kingussie and Aviemore. Local buses mainly serve Kinlochleven via Glencoe.
By Boat
The Caledonian Canal connects the eastcoast of Scotland (near Inverness) with the westcoast at Corpach, near Fort William.
Getting Around
By Car
By Public Transport
In summer, there are buses to the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel.
By Foot
Fort William is small enough to navigate on foot.
By Bike
The surrounding trails are extremely suited for mountain biking (see above).
Eat
Fish, meat and vegetarian dishes are all available. Try the Scottish haggis here if you want.
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aite Cruinnichidh | 1 Achluachrach By Roy Bridge | Hostel | 77 |
| Bank Street Lodge | Bank Street Inverness-shire | Hostel | 80 |
| Calluna | Heathercroft | Hostel | 81 |
| Chase The Wild Goose Hostel | Great Glen Way Lochiel Crescent, Banavie | Hostel | 79 |
| Farr Cottage Lodge | Farr Cottage Corpach | Hostel | 76 |
| Fort William Backpackers | Alma Road | Hostel | 90 |
| Glen Nevis Youth Hostel | Fort William Glen Nevis | Hostel | 86 |
| Roy Bridge Hostel & Grey Corrie Lodge | Roy Bridge Inverness-shire | Hostel | 70 |
| Smiddy Bunkhouse & Blacksmiths Backpackers Lodge | Station Road Corpach | Hostel | 81 |
| Inchree Centre | Onich, Near Glencoe | Hostel | 86 |
| InverNevis B&B | Invernevis B&B Achintore Road | Guesthouse | 99 |
| Ossians Hotel | High Street | Guesthouse | 72 |
| The Corran Ferry Hotel | Onich Fort William | Hotel | 93 |
B&B
Top End
Keep Connected
Internet
Internet available in a few places along the main street and library.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
The Royal Mail provides postal services in the United Kingdom. The Royal Mail's store fronts are called Post Office and offer services ranging from sending letters and packages to foreign currency exchange. Use the branch locator to find the nearest Post Office branch. An alternative includes TNT Post.
It's common for a post office to be incorporated into a grocery store, where there will be a small counter located at the back of the store for dealing with post related matters. All post offices are marked with signs that say 'post office' in red lettering. Post boxes can be found at any post office and standalone large red post boxes on the streets or red boxes in the sides of public buildings.
On Travellerspoint
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