Best Things to do in Fort William – A Complete Guide to Visiting
Situated on the shores of Loch Linnhe in the west of the Scottish Highlands is Fort William. This town is well known due to it being the home of the UK's highest peak, Ben Nevis.
There are many great things to do in Fort William, from getting out and about in nature, hiking, exploring waterfalls and doing snowsports.
If you are not in to the adventure side of things, there is a high street with plenty shopping and cafes and restaurants to experience aswell.
In this post, we explore in more detail the best things to do in Fort William.
Fort William is a brilliant place to see some of the most incredible scenery in Scotland and if you are into getting out and about in nature, there are many great walks and hikes in the area. In this post we include the following:
Climb Ben Nevis
Ride the Harry Potter Steam Train
Corpach Shipwreck
Neptune's Staircase
Try out the Snowsports
Visit the Highland Soap Company
Ben Nevis Distillery
Old Inverlochy Castle
Walk to Steall Falls
Climb Ben Nevis
The tallest mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis, sitting at 4,411ft. Mountains standing taller than 3000ft are called a Munro in Scotland and to 'bag' a munro, means climbing one of these mountains. We would recommend if this is something you are thinking of doing that you are well prepared and have some experience and knowledge of mountaineering.
Climbing mountains in Scotland is never something that should be taken lightly due to how unpredictable the weather is. We suggest that you are well prepared on how to 'bag' a munro safely before you set off.
We would recommend heading out on the hills with experienced climbers before attempting a Munro by yourself.
You must always carry a map and a compass and be very experienced in using them. If you would rather hike Ben Nevis with an experienced local guide, you can check out this Ben Nevis Guide for a guided group walk
Go on an Adventure with Active Highs
Active Highs is an adventure-based company located just outside of Fort William. Take your adrenaline to the next level and book yourself onto an experience with Active Highs. We can highly recommend the canyoneering, where you can get enjoy the thrills of the natural waterfall slides and jump into the deep pools.
They also offer other activities such as white water rafting, white water kayaking and gorge walking.
Ride the Harry Potter Steam Train
The Fort William to Mallaig Jacobite steam train crosses one of the most popular bridges in the world, the Glenfinnan Viaduct. This 84-mile trip is one of the most stunning routes in Scotland taking you through Scotlands most incredible scenery.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct was made famous in the Harry Potter movies and is visited by many every year. You can either choose to take the train journey or park at the Glenfinnan Viaduct and snap a photo of the train steaming past there.
Corpach Shipwreck
One of Scotland’s best, hidden gems and one of the most photogenic spots in the country lies just outside of the popular highland town of Fort William. Located in Corpach, the Old Boat of Caol sits proudly on the stony beach of Loch Eil, with a backdrop of the stunning Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest peak. This tranquil spot is every photographer’s dream location, with glasslike water to your right, the towering peak of Ben Nevis in front and the mystery of the Corpach Shipwreck as a frame.
Neptune's Staircase
Also situated just outside the town of Fort William lies one of the UK’s most impressive manmade constructions, the 8-tier staircase lock known as the Neptunes Staircase. Built more than 200 years ago, this collection of locks carriers boats up and down an elevation of a whopping 20m and connects the Great Caledonian Canal to the open waters of Loch Linnhe.
Visit these impressive locks and see for yourself why so many people flock to see the Great Caledonian Canal for themselves.
Plan your visit to the Neptunes Staircase with our full guide to this spot over here.
Try out the Snowsports
During the winter months Fort William can be a great place to enjoy snowsports. Whether you are a skiing or snowboarding pro or just want to try your hand at some sledging, there is something for everyone at the Nevis Range Snowsports.
Make sure you check the weather and the Nevis Range website to make sure the weather is safe for them to open.
Visit the Highland Soap Company
The Highland Soap Company is one of our favourite luxury soaps. If you have ever been to Scotland you may have heard of them but did you know they have a visitor centre in Fort William. There are many other eco friendly gifts available in the visitor centre as well as a comfortable cafe selling delicious food.
Ben Nevis Distillery
The Ben Nevis Distillery is a whisky distillery in Fort William which sits at the foot of the UK's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Whisky tours run hourly throughout the day and cost £5 per person with some whisky tasting at the end.
Old Inverlochy Castle
Inverlochy Castle is an old castle ruin that sits on the banks of River Lochy. The fortress itself has survived remarkably well over the years, built in the 1200's by the Comyns who dominated northern Scotland at this point in time.
Walk through the old fortress and envision what it would be like to live here many many years ago.
Steall Falls
Steall Falls is a very impressive waterfall located in Glen Nevis. It is Scotland's second-highest waterfall, and also the second highest in the UK, with a single drop of 120 metres. If you want to get a closer look at the waterfall, you will need to cross Steall Bridge, which has 3 wires, 1 to walk along and 2 for holding onto. The bridge is roughly about 10ft above the water and roughly 20ft in length. Be prepared for this to be a very wobbly walk across the bridge.
So there you have it, all of the best things to do in Fort William, including castles, snowsports, and waterfalls. If you have visited Fort William recently, let us know what you thought of the sights listed above, or if you have any suggestions let us know in the comments below.
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