Outdoor activities in Fort William

Woodland and coastal survival experiences in Lochaber - an adventurous family or small group outdoor activity, that can be tailored for you. Try your hand at bushcraft, survival skills, foraging, navigation, and looking for wildlife tracks and signs, with the guidance of Leon Durbin - an experienced Bushcraft Instructor and Ecologist. Learn wilderness survival skills in the beautiful ancient woodlands, hills and coastlines of the West Coast, and gain a unique insight into these stunning wild places, all within easy reach of Fort William. Learn how to make fire, find water, shelter and food - how would you manage if you were stranded in the wild? Learn how to use sharp tools safely. Catch fish and forage for wild food, cook on the campfire on a deserted sandy beach looking out across the ocean to the small isles! We take an environmentally responsible approach, based on a sound ecological understanding. All our courses give you hands-on experience and let you think things through for yourself, providing expert guidance when needed. The skills we teach are empowering, practical and great fun, and they may even save your life! We welcome enquiries from individuals, small groups and organisations and we regularly provide bespoke experiences for families on holiday, stag groups and corporate teams. We are also happy to run courses in other parts of Scotland. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please visit our website and fill in the contact form on our website. www.wildwoodbushcraft.com You can also find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Wildwood.Bushcraft and twitter: http://twitter.com/WildwoodUK

Based at the foot of Ben Nevis and with Glencoe and Skye not too far away, Kirkhope mountaineering is perfectly placed to help you with your next adventure. We offer Guided walks of Ben Nevis with a Ben Nevis Guide, via the Tourist path or Guided Ben Nevis climbs on classic routes such as Ledge Route and Tower Ridge on its magnificent North face. The world-famous Glencoe is only 30 mins away and has some of the most accessible scrambling and rock climbing in Scotland. Popular classics include a day out with a Curved Ridge Guide, a Guided traverse of the Aonach Eagach and Agag's Groove. Ben Nevis Guided Walks are very popular and we can accommodate any size group and even help you plan your trip if you are organising a charity event. Summer is the season for our Skye Cuillin Munros Courses and for Guided traverses of the Skye Cuillin Ridge. We offer Guided Rock climbing and Rock Climbing courses on the west coast of Scotland During the winter months, we offer Scottish Winter Climbing Courses and Winter Mountaineering Courses in the Glencoe and Ben Nevis area. Guided Winter Climbing is very popular and is available for single or multi-day courses. Please feel free to get in touch to discuss your plans or if you would like some advice to help you plan your next adventure. [email protected] For a full list of what we can offer please visit www.kirkhopemountaineering.co.uk below is a list of just some of our most popular courses. • Scrambling • Rock climbing • Ben Nevis guided walks • Skye Cuillin courses • Mountain biking • Glencoe guided scrambles

If biking is your thing then lets hang out on our bikes in the Outdoor Capital. Only £95 per person for a day of guided fun and instruction on your bike.

Kirkhope Mountain Biking is a bespoke Mountain bike guiding and coaching company based in the Highlands of Scotland. We offer half or full day coaching courses and single or multi day guided trips through out Scotland and specialize in big adventurous days out in the many varying landscapes that Scotland has to offer. Popular trips include: • The Torridon loop • Cairngorm adventures • The devil's staircase and the Ciaran path Please get in touch via email at scott@kirkhopemountainbiking to discuss what mountain bike adventure you would like next.

We offer fantastic outdoor activities, off road quad biking and 4×4 experiences in one of the most scenic parts of the U.K. With nearly 50,000 acres at our disposal we can offer something for everyone. With one, two and three & half hour trips you will ride through Ancient Caledonian forests, head in to the hills or follow the rivers with their raging rapids and waterfalls, we can even throw in Scottish Baronial castles. We can offer it all in the most stunning setting that Scotland has to offer. We have quad bikes that are suitable for everyone age 12 and above and our 4×4 off road experience is a fantastic way for groups and individuals to explore the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. We cater for Couples, individuals, families, stag and hen parties, corporate events or a group of friends getting together to have a fun day out. All of our activities take place at Ardverikie Estate, better known as Glen Bogle in the BBC drama series, "Monarch of the Glen" and is situated between "Outdoor Capital of the UK and the Cairngorm National Park.

Skyak Adventures are based in Skye but we often explore the Lochaber shoreline during our sea kayaking trips. We offer individual and group training and canoeing / kayaking expeditions around the Scottish West Highland sea coastline. For more details about our outdoor adventures, kayaking and paddling services please drop us an enquiry or visit our website. Sea kayaking trips | Learn to sea kayak or canoe | Sea paddling | Sea canoe trips

Fort William Golf Club is located just north of Fort William by the A82. This course lies under the shadow of Ben Nevis and is a challenging course with great views. Our 9 hole golf course will provide you with a great golfing experience below the highest mountain in the British Isles. You have a good clubhouse with bar and facilities, including club and trolly hire. Visitors are especially welcome and often play a round of golf with our locals.

Come and explore the steeper side of Lochaber! I provide experienced and friendly guiding and instruction on Ben Nevis and in Glencoe. I specialise in taking and teaching novices climbing and mountaineering. All my days out are bespoke and just for you and your party. Whether you are looking for a guided day out on a spectacular route or to learn/polish up on your own skills to become more independent in the hills and on the rock. Expect to be asked a lot of questions about you and what YOU want from a day out as I'll be trying hard to make it a great experience for YOU! If you are a hillwalker already I can take you onto classic routes such as Ledge Route or Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis or perhaps Curved Ridge or the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe. If you are/aspire to be a rock climber we can do a day locally on the accessible crags of Polldubh or head for a classic route such as Agag's Groove or Adrverikie Wall. I don't hire anyone else so I apologise if I'm not free but I can recommend qualified and experienced colleagues who can give you a great day out locally. Like many of the other qualified local instructors I'm a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors and I also train and assess junior Award holders. I hold the highest Mountain Training UK Qualification for roped mountaineering and climbing the Mountain Instructor's Certificate and am fully insured for all the activities I undertake. To find out more about me visit http://www.climbwhenyoureready.com to see what I can do for you.

Rockhopper Sea Kayaking is based near Fort William on the West Coast of Scotland. We offer half, full or multi-day kayak trips through some of the most spectacular coastal, mountain and island scenery in Scotland. This area is rich in wildlife and you may be lucky enough to encounter seals, dolphins, porpoise, otters, a huge variety of coastal birds or perhaps even the white tailed sea eagle. Whether new to the sport or an experienced sea kayaker, we will provide an unforgettable experience. Our Sea kayaks are long, stable and easy to control and we have large double kayaks available for youngsters or those who are a little apprehensive. All equipment is provided by us. Families, groups and individuals are all welcome. We also provide a canoe hire service and equipment.

From the aspiring novice to the more advanced mountaineer Snowgoose Mountain Centre offers the perfect introduction, course, mountain guiding or holiday of a lifetime. This is whether you want an introduction to rock climbing & abseiling, learn to lead on  rock, develop your navigational skills or tackle big mountaineering routes in summer or winter. Maybe you will want to extend your summer mountain activities into autumn and winter by getting to grip with the skills needed to take on winter walking, winter mountaineering then snow and ice climbing. Our aim is always to introduce  our clients to the  fundamental  hill and mountain skills or develop those they have already so that they can independently progress their mountaineering expertise through out the year from summer into winter mountaineering. • Winter Mountaineering and Ice Climbing Courses are run at this fantastic time of year in the Scottish Highlands by Snowgoose Mountain Centre when the hills and mountains are covered with snow and ice. Our skills based winter courses for climbing, mountaineering and guiding are delivered in the mountains around the Ben Nevis and Glencoe areas in a convenient location four  miles from Fort William. We deliver courses in basic ice axe & crampon techniques, avalanche awareness, through to advanced winter climbing courses. Complete winter novices are introduced to the basic winter walking skills needed to travel in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands safely in winter  giving a solid skills base. •  A wide range of mountain based skills coaching, courses, guiding & holidays are on offer throughout the spring, summer and early autumn suited to the needs of individuals, families, & groups. Our courses & holiday are led only by local, friendly , professionally qualified and experienced course leaders, instructors & guides based largely on “the Ben” Nevis, Glen Nevis, Glen Coe, Creag Meaghidh, Ardgour and Kintail areas. If you are new to mountain based activities and our area  then why not join a group or book a guide to do the ascent of the UK’s highest mountain – Ben Nevis. An iconic day out on the mountains – which ever way you do it. We cater from absolute beginners wanting a leisurely mountain walk to those requiring an in depth refresher before taking a qualification assessment. Our rock climbing courses provide a logical progression from indoor wall climbing to Classic Munro, Rock, Ridge mountain routes. Participants going on overseas, high altitude trekking holidays find that our courses – summer or winter – are an excellent value preparation for such expeditions. Snowgoose Mountain Centre is an AALS licensed centre (Adventure Activities Licensing Authority) and a DofE AAP (Approved Activity Provider) for Expeditions and Residentials.  John Cuthbertson holds the MIC (Mountain Instructors Certificate) which is the highest UK based mountain instructor's qualification. He is a also an Accredited Gold DofE Assessor for walking & paddling expeditions.

The centre's position offers exceptional facilities for watersports enthusiasts of all levels. The Lochaber & Fort William area bounded by an extensive coastal & marine environment. Snowgoose Mountain Centre is surrounded by safe water with easy access to the sheltered tidal waters of Loch Linnhe and access to the open sea down the length of Loch Linnhe beyond Corran Narrows. SEA KAYAKING In the Lochaber area there is a truly amazing variety of inland lochs and coastline offering wide selection of sea kayak trips - offering everything from sheltered paddling journeys on placid lochs with lots of islands to discover, to open tidal water with fast tidal currents. Our beginner sea kayak sessions on Loch Linnhe are a gentle introduction to the effects of paddling on tidal waters. The inland lochs of Loch Lochy and Loch Sheil are also excellent locations for sea kayaking. A little further away protected by hundreds of small tidal islands (known as skerries) is the coastline surrounding Arisaig bay. An ideal spot to begin an adventure. This area is home to a huge variety of marine wildlife with a fair weather option to paddle up the coastline towards Mallaig with fantastic views out the Inner Hebrides. RIVER KAYAKING Our novice kayaking sessions, courses & holidays are initially based on the sheltered open inland waters of Loch Linnhe, Loch Lochy, or Loch Shiel                                With a more experience we can easily progress to the moving water of the rivers Lochy, Oich, and later to the amazing white water of the Roy, Spean, etc. Our favourite spot for beginners on moving water is on Loch Lochy in a wide sheltered open bay with visiting ospreys in the summer – along with small rapids tumbling down from Loch Arkaig a few miles above. Based on the short steep side of the country we have good local access to excellent Grade 111 and above white water rivers which are largely spate in nature, some of which are quite technical in nature. This gives excellent training opportunities for intermediate and advanced white water paddling in a unique environment. OPEN CANOEING. These basic skills sessions are based inland on the more sheltered  Loch Lochy or the tidal waters of Loch Linnhe with also excellent locations to learn the skills of open canoe journeying, for day paddles or with an over night wild camping stop.There are excellent opportunities for overnight expeditions for those with a little more experience - we regularly venture further a field to the tidal waters of Loch Moidart – paddle the Rough Bounds into Arisaig; Loch Sheil; Loch Oich and Loch Arkaig. All of this as well as guided open canoe trips over the 70 mile long Caledonian Canal on the Great Glen Canoe Trail – this being one of the favourites. The idyllic River Oich and Loch Lochy are excellent for an introduction to river paddling in an open canoe  learning  to raft up effectively, lining & poling as well as the opportunity to canoe sail on more advanced courses DINGHY SAILING We have a small fleet of 16' Devon Yawls & 21’ keeled Flying 15 dinghies which can take 4 students plus an instructor. These are all weather dinghies which are fun to sail but also fast and responsive for single handed sailing or a family day out.   There are several options available for Dinghy Sailing with our experienced Instructors from ½ day taster sessions for all the family to 2-3 day sailing & boat handling courses.By the end of a 2 day Beginners course you will have experienced handling the dinghy, sail handling, rope work, be aware of safety on board and  be able to sail as a crew in light winds under supervision. There will be hands on experience of:| The dinghy and its main parts; Basic boat handling – how to sail in all wind directions; Launching & recovery;  weather & meteorology. CANOE AND KAYAK HIRE & THE GREAT GLEN CANOE TRAIL Snowgoose Mountain Centre is well placed at the extreme SW end of the Caledonian Canal for the recently opened Great Glen Canoe Trail. This offers a great opportunity to canoe or kayak along the spectacular Caledonian Canal which runs for nearly 70 miles from near Fort William to Inverness along the very varied stretches of canal as well as the wide open waters of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness (which are classed as inland seas).We provideGuided canoe & sea kayak trips along the Great Glen Canoe Trail as well as 2 - 5 day expeditions in other fantastic remote and wild locations on the west coast of Scotland. We do not hire our boats to inexperienced paddlersFull open canoe, sea & river kayak hire / outfitting packages including paddles, buoyancy aids, barrels, BDH bottles, dry bags, trolley wheels, etc.  Full camping & expedition equipment hire - plus full information on the best campsites & local services.A full shuttle service for boats & gear to the end of the finish of the Canoe Trail and elsewhere - and free drop of to the top of Neptune's Staircase at Banavie to all our hire customers.  Locally based paddling information and advice when you arrive with us - based on over 30 years of local paddling experience.

Laser Clay Shooting   Fun! Skilled!  Addictive! The laser sport system uses real deactivated Berretta single trigger 12 Bore shotguns fitted with state of the art electronic gadgetry! The clays are released from a standard electronic trap and participants aim at them just as they would under normal clay pigeon shooting conditions, however when they pull the trigger, the gun fires an infra-red beam at the clay targets. This beam then bounces from the clay back to the electronic scoreboard which registers a “hit” or a “miss” on the scoreboard with a loud “bang” coming from the speakers. Whilst the guns are entirely safe, good gun protocol is always encouraged and there is also none of the painful “kickback” that you might experience from using real shotguns. One of the advantages of Laser Clay Pigeon shooting over standard Clay Pigeon shooting is that all participants (up to 5) can shoot at each clay at the same time, enabling all to an enjoyable activity shooting up to 80 clays in any one session. Even though it is not the same as the real thing, it is safe and good fun for all, and should anyone want to take it further Laser Clay shooting is an idea stepping stone to traditional Clay pigeon shooting.