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Fort William & Lochaber Area Guide

Fort William and Lochaber is a great holiday outdoor activity destination in the west of Scotland. Visit our guide to Fort William B&B, guesthouse, hotel and self catering accommodation. Outdoors sports adventure and of course walking and climbing Ben Nevis

Fort William and Lochaber is a huge rural area in the west Highlands of Scotland with the principal town Fort William lying on the shore of Loch Linnhe below Ben Nevis.

The area features the most westerly point in Britain - Ardnamurchan Point; the second deepest loch - Loch Morar; the highest mountain and the most infamous Highland glen - historic Glencoe with its amazing scenery. Perhaps the most famous glen in Scotland - Glenfinnan - where the Clan Cameron gathered there to meet Bonnie Prince Charlie from France, to lead the historic Jacobite Army. We have the only mountain gondola in Scotland with two superb downhill bike tracks and a full range of summer and winter sports. If that’s not a lot we have the Caledonian Canal, a superb inland waterway joining the Atlantic to the North Sea; the Great Glen and world famous Road to the Isles, with its hugely popular Iron Horse Jacobite train journey. Oh, there’s also a very long maritime coastline perfect for fishing or kayaking - not to mention some of the largest areas of fresh water lochs in Scotland.

Getting here is relatively straight forward, although the journey can seem long. Scottish airports at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness have international and domestic flights landing visitors directly into Scotland where excellent train and bus services will bring you to the Highlands in comfort. There are several local taxi firms who will gladly pick you up from any UK airport pick-up point and give you a guided tour on the way back here! Once you arrive in Fort William there are local car rental businesses who provide an excellent service. You can rent a mountain bike or cycle locally too and so there’s no reason not to stay and explore longer. We often suggest to folk not just to pass through - there is so much to see and experience.

Lochaber’s history has been a long one with many events over the centuries shaping the politics of the United Kingdom - the Celts, the Vikings, the English, the French and Spanish and latterly the British and of course the Highland Jacobites have all shaped who we are today. The site of old Inverlochy Castle in Fort William goes way back in time when there was a fortified building there 800 years ago; and when in 1645 three thousand men engaged in a ferocious battle one cold February day that is said to have left the river red with blood.  Today Fort William, Glencoe, the Great Glen, Ardnamurchan attract people for outdoor activities, its history and of course Ben Nevis and the Jacobite Steam Train.

Almost 10,000 people live and work in and around the town of Fort William, which includes several small villages and communities nearby. The Lochaber area which includes the places mentioned has a population of around 20,000. Many people work to provide tourism services by providing a huge range of holiday accommodation which includes traditional cottages, self catering lodges and homes, guesthouses, some large and small hotels, camping parks  and hostels.

Our Fort William Eating Out Guide will help you locate some really good restaurants, pubs and cafes, including traditional Fish ’n Chip shops. We have some very high quality places to dine set amongst mountains, glens or lochsides and the town centre has a good choice of family restaurants including seafood specialists. 

Through the year, but mostly during the Spring and Summer months, there are lots of events and activities to think about visiting and enjoying the fun and thrills of downhill biking, Highland games, music and art festivals and exhibitions and live entertainment with local musicians. 

Local services include lots of food producers who supply the highest quality seafood and game from the land and seas. Some specialise in smoked produce and other produce bakery specialities. Forestry and timber processing, fish farming, aluminium smelting are our main industries, and these are supported by many local trades and retail outlets. The people of Lochaber are looked after by a very impressive NHS Highland health service, together with the Fire Service and Police Scotland.

View the Ben Nevis webcam

Click to view the latest images from Ben Nevis

Enjoy these videos

Fort William 365 - Whisky Tasting
A visit to Fort William's longest established business - Ben Nevis Distillery.
Fort William 365 - visit Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis is the most beautiful glen in the Highlands
Something to do on a wet day
Three Wise Monkeys climbing wall is 5 minutes from our High Street

Explore these featured listings

The Hayloft
The Hayloft at Lochyside is positioned to one side of our lovely, quiet garden with views towards Ben Nevis and has everything you need to enjoy your visit to the Fort William area. The property is tastefully designed in the upper floor of a self-contained building with an open plan kitchen-diner and lounge, a double bedroom and bathroom that has a bath with shower. Fort William is a 10 minute drive away and a cycle track passes nearby. Lochyside is adjacent to the River Lochy and close to the village of Caol which has a range of shops and a supermarket within walking distance. Re-opened with new owners in May 2017 so we currently have good availability - contact us soon! Guests at The Hayloft have exclusive use of the rear garden that is viewed from the covered decked area at the apartment entrance. The well tended, sheltered garden has mature shrubs and plants and benefits from the sun most of the day. Private parking is provided. Also close by and a short drive or easy walk, is historical Old Inverlochy Castle, Neptune's Staircase on the Caledonian Canal and Ben Nevis Distillery. The cycle route that passes by heads towards the Caledonian Canal and onward to Corpach or North, following the canal to Gairlochy and beyond. In the other direction from The Hayloft the route crosses the River Lochy and heads towards Fort William or Nevis Range We have Wifi, free parking and all heating, electricity, towels and bedding are included. Central heating is provided by an oil fired boiler and a feature-fire with a boost function is in the lounge area.   A UHD Television with Netflix is installed and free Wifi is provided.   The kitchen has a cooker with double oven, microwave, kettle, toaster and all cutlery, crockery and glassware. A fridge with freezer compartment and washing machine is installed.
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Distant Hills Guest House, Spean Bridge
Rooms for Two. Located in the pretty village of Spean Bridge, about 9 miles from Fort William, our comfortable 4 star guesthouse enjoys a good location in the village, within walking distance of several restaurants and shops. We are also very near Nevis Range for summer gondola trips, forest walks and mountain biking trails. Our bed and breakfast rooms are all ensuite and are rated by the AA as 4 gold star grade. We are one of  only 50 accommodation providers in Scotland with an AA Breakfast Award. Free Wifi is available throughout the building which guests consistently rate as "Excellent" and most mobile phone 4G services. There is no "family room" in Distant Hills so we have decided to focus on creating a relaxed and peaceful place for singles, couples and older families. We therefore do not accept children under 12 years of age. Our village is described as the Crossroads of the Highlands as it is convenient for visiting: • Ben Nevis • The Commando Monument • Fort William • Monessie Gorge • Glenfinnan viaduct • Oban • Loch Ness • Skye • Mull To check availability please complete the form below. Recent Review published on Trip Advisor:- Excellent breakfast, real porridge, full breakfast with local ingredients, or Scottish specialities including smoked salmon, venison salami, cheese and so on. They gave us great advice on where to go, how to get around and so on. You can't learn that kind of hospitality - they saw us running before breakfast one day, and that evening under our door we found posted a 5km route perfect for running, which of course we tried the next day. The Commando walk, beautiful and full of historical remnants. The rooms are well decorated, comfortable, and very neatly put together, with wonderful views of Ben Nevis and surrounding peaks.
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Great Glen Yurts
Great Glen Yurts is an eco yurt camp in a woodland riverside setting at the foot of Ben Nevis. Our hand painted authentic Mongolian yurts are set on a beautiful organic farm in the highlands of Scotland. Each yurt has unbelievably sensational views of the North Face of Ben Nevis and are also just a stone's throw away from some of the best mountain bike tracks in the World at Nevis Range. Experience staying on a working highland farm with Hebridean sheep, highland cows an array of beautiful horses. There is trout fishing and horse riding available on the farm. Our unique accommodation is a great way to experience all the joys of camping and getting back to nature without compromising on comfort. There is a well equipped communal rustic kitchen and open fire pit for BBQ's. We have a shower/ toilet block with piping hot showers - perfect for relaxing after a day on the hill. Experience "living in the round" and living in the wilds in our private ecocamp. The camp is run on ecological principles with wood burning stoves and low impact “buildings”. The mission of the business is to promote low impact tourism, natural living and generate creative ideas around sustainable lifestyle, personal transformation and community living. As well as offering unique accommodation, we host courses, creative workshops, retreats and outdoor sports immersion holidays. All this right in front of Ben Nevis - the highest mountain in the British Isles, and only 4 miles from Fort William town centre. Find us on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/greatglenyurts 
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