I was in Fort William last month for a birthday trip with my family. Even though it was my idea to go there, I didn’t expect to have such an amazing time! We had the most perfect weather and there are so many beautiful places to explore in the area so here’s some of the highlights.
We stayed in Fort William and our AirBNB had a great view over Loch Linnhe. This giant cruise ship suddenly appeared one morning, which was a bit of a surprise. We spent quite a bit of time at the house as it was so hot all week and we tired out quite quickly. The decor and architecture also kept us highly entertained – it was real McMansion Hell stuff.
There is tons of stuff to see within an hour or twos drive and very close by is Neptune’s Staircase, a series of locks in the Caledonian Canal that raises ships up quite a height. It was really cool to watch, though it happens very slowly.
Further on is Corpach Basin, where the locks end at Linnhe Loch and some lovely views. We had a nice lunch here.
We got up early the next day to see the train going across Glenfinnan Viaduct, which only happens a few times a day. It’s a bit of a trek up to the viewing area so you want to be there before all the tour groups. Sadly there was no steam train, due to the fire risk from all the dry weather, but it was still cool to see, and goes very slowly so you have time to take lots of photos.
We walked back along the Glenfinnan Trail, which takes you very high up and then along to the station, which has a museum and even a cafe inside a train.
My big wish was to go on the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola, after I saw it on the TV during the Cycling World Championships. There’s mountain bike trails that run from the top of the mountain underneath the cable cars. We did see a few on our ride, as well as some paragliders.
The gondola is very expensive but the views from the top of Aonach Mòr are worth it! We walked up to the summit and it’s just stunning from all angles. There’s also a viewing area and cafe at the gondolas if you can’t manage a walk.
We always enjoy a boat trip and this time did something a bit different – an evening cruise on Loch Linnhe. There’s not that much wildlife to see but still lots of interesting stuff. This is coming back into Fort William.
Glencoe was another top wish list pick and even more impressive than I expected. The landscape is so vast and big that it’s hard to comprehend really. It was far too hot (and crowded) to do much more than make brief stops but amazing to see.
We went back the next day and had a walk around Glencoe Lochan instead. This was definitely the most beautiful location we visited and I couldn’t stop taking photos.
The reflections were just perfect that day, especially with the mountains and cloudless sky and pink rhododendrons.
We stopped in Ballachulish for lunch (the tourist centre unexpectedly has really good food) and had a wander to the nearby slate quarry, which turned out to be one of my highlights.
I also have to mention Treasures of the Earth! I wasn’t particularly interested in visiting this museum of crystals, gems and fossils but it’s one of the weirdest museums I’ve ever visited (and I’ve been to the Parasite Museum!). Just a bizarre mix of displays with dinosaur art, random models and moody lighting. I especially enjoyed the glow in the dark display.
Fort William itself is a nice wee town with lots of places to eat and some interesting independent shops. It is a little bit touristy, as it’s at the end of the West Highland Way and there are a million outdoor shops too. I was thrilled to find some cute souvenirs by local artist Flandish and that badge is now on my backpack.
I took so many photos and you can see them all over at my Flickr. I also saved my Instagram stories as a highlight as there’s some videos in there, plus location tags if you’re planning a visit.
Also shoutout to Scotrail for my train home being delayed by just over an hour so I got a full refund.
