jane58 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Any ideas of what you must see and what is best avoided in the Fort William area in the next few weeks? I'm on holiday with my mother and looking for suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Best fish and chips I ever had was from a shop in Fort William. Can't be many there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turned Out Nice Again Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 climb mountains? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Knimbies who say No Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Grog&Gruel Dunno about the food, beer was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 +1 for Great Glen Way. Or for less energetic - a drive to Inverness and around Loch Ness. Can't recommend either of the Nessie museums though - unless you are looking for unintentional laughs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Best fish and chips I ever had was from a shop in Fort William. Can't be many there. And in Scotland that shop is called The Health Food Shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDW Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Walk up and down Ben Nevis, the paths like a motorway, so this time of year I wouldn't describe it as dangerous by any stretch of the imagination. Go dressed sensibly though as even at this time of year it's still pretty chilly at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdug Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 The only thing to do in fort William is walk Ben Nevis ....I think the place is a tourist let down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane58 Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Thanks for the ideas. Will certainly be looking to try the fish n chips. Unlikely to try Ben Nevis as my mum is unable to walk too far and the concept of pushing a wheelchair up any mountain would probably kill me:) . If the weather is bad, a trip to Inverness may well be a good idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 A few miles west you have the iconic Glenfinan Viaduct....'hogwarts' express bridge. Take a drive out west on the A830 to see it, then follow around the coast on Ardnamurchan taking the A861 and see the historic Viking digs and sites, a Stevenson lighthouse, and other scenic stuff over past Kentra bay at Ardtoe, then follow on back around and take the Corran ferry. There is at least a few days of sightseeing in the area, plenty of little villages. It's a beautiful part of Scotland over that way. Bring a good pair of hiking/walking shoes, tea in a thermos, good quality brolly and your camera. Perhaps a quaich or flask, as you are whiskey country. Oban is right down the road and very beautiful. There's plenty to do, hopefully you get the weather. EDIT: the best way to see the bridge with your auld mom is to take the Jacobite steam train out to Mallaig. link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cavey Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 If you are not into extreme sports, there are a few other options: Glencoe is just down the road and is spectacular ( if it's not raining) Also, take a drive out to Arisaig and the beaches to further along the coast ( camusdaroch - where Local Hero was filmed). The beaches at Morar are just a bit further on and are just next to the old road. Mallaig is good for a walk around the harbour. There's a steam train run out on to here on the west highland line ( or there used to be: edit: just seen link above) Head up to Fort Agustus and watch the holiday makers in their rental boats trying to negotiate the locks on the canal. Always good for a laugh. Good fish n chips just up from the Lock Inn, and there's a good old fashioned butchers shop that makes the best haggis. You can take a gondola ride up at the Nevis range and watch the downhill mountain bikers doing their crazy stuff. Plenty to do if you have the weather and if the midgies are not out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane58 Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 A few miles west you have the iconic Glenfinan Viaduct....'hogwarts' express bridge. Take a drive out west on the A830 to see it, then follow around the coast on Ardnamurchan taking the A861 and see the historic Viking digs and sites, a Stevenson lighthouse, and other scenic stuff over past Kentra bay at Ardtoe, then follow on back around and take the Corran ferry. There is at least a few days of sightseeing in the area, plenty of little villages. It's a beautiful part of Scotland over that way. Bring a good pair of hiking/walking shoes, tea in a thermos, good quality brolly and your camera. Perhaps a quaich or flask, as you are whiskey country. Oban is right down the road and very beautiful. There's plenty to do, hopefully you get the weather. EDIT: the best way to see the bridge with your auld mom is to take the Jacobite steam train out to Mallaig. link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane58 Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Meant to say that I've booked a trip on the Jacobite for us. Hopefully we'll get ok weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Would second glencoe (one of the most stunning places on the planet) and Arisaig. This place does lovely food and great location in Arisaig cnoc na faire Also a drive up to skye is hard to beat. If you fancy a place to stay in glencoe the clachaig is a quite amazing location. As for the midge - only thing that keeps them away is Avon skin so soft. Def get one of the ferries too - great views and not too expensive either. Gondola is a good shout too. If you fancy a bit more of a drive , mull is stunning. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Forgot to add - the train from fort William to mallaig is regularly classed as one of the finest on the planet. Quite unlike most other Scotsrail journeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jane58 Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Forgot to add - the train from fort William to mallaig is regularly classed as one of the finest on the planet. Quite unlike most other Scotsrail journeys That's already booked, but thanks. Will let you know how it goes when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 You appear to have it all in order !! Thought about a boat trip ? They do lots of ones you can see dolphins basking sharks and sometimes killer whales. Also whisky distilleries do good tours that are interesting. When you going ? Weather looking good from Tuesday onwards. Can get very warm up there sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 You appear to have it all in order !! Thought about a boat trip ? They do lots of ones you can see dolphins basking sharks and sometimes killer whales. Also whisky distilleries do good tours that are interesting. When you going ? Weather looking good from Tuesday onwards. Can get very warm up there sometimes. The heat's always a worry in Scotland, it doesn't stop me visiting but I do need to dress appropriately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snafu Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Brilliant castle at the ....bottom left side of the loch. Halfway to the mnessie museum (which looked shit from the outside). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Generation Game Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Brilliant castle at the ....bottom left side of the loch. Halfway to the mnessie museum (which looked shit from the outside). Which one? Urquhart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdug Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Oban ,Glencoe and Inverness are not fort William ..enjoy the driving about stuck behind the tourists at this time of year..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snafu Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Which one? Urquhart? That one! Good castle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Forgot to add - the train from fort William to mallaig is regularly classed as one of the finest on the planet. Quite unlike most other Scotsrail journeys Indeed, and not too bad the other way back across Rannoch Moor towards Glasgow so may as well do the whole of The West Highland Railway. Always think Mallaig is a bit depressing (standing around waiting for the return train to rescue you). The Highland Museum (Fort William) is worth a look, including the secret portrait of Bonny Prince Charlie unscrambled by a cylinder of glass. Can always go to Fort William library and do a bit of posting on housepricecrash, as indeed I have in the past not having the luxury of a laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbonic Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Any ideas of what you must see and what is best avoided in the Fort William area in the next few weeks? I'm on holiday with my mother and looking for suggestions. I've just got back from a week in NW Scotland. Mostly spent on Skye on 'the best campsite in the UK' between the sea and the Black Cuillin mountains at the end of Glenbrittle (we were walking/scrambling in the Cuillin's). The Skye bridge was a couple of hours drive north from Ft Willian (FW) and well worth a daytrip - tons of shops flogging tourist stuff (mostly in tartan!) at Kyle of Lochalsh and the drive over the bridge to Skye is spectacular. The Black Coulins are worth the viewing - really jagged peaks with a scary reputation among climbers. The Tallister distillery is also on the Skye tourist trail. Kyle of Lochalsh next to the bridge does have a railway station, so that could be a rail outing from FW? We camped wild for a night in Glenco maybe 30 mins south of FW - there is a Glencoe visitor centre you could look around - we didn't go in as it was almost closing time and it cost £6 if you weren't in the National Trust for Scotland. And after the visitor centre you could go to the King's Head Hotel 10 mins down the road in Glencoe (next to the river Etive) for dinner - OK food in a stunning setting as it's in the middle of the glen all by itself. If your luck there'll be wild deer sniffing around the hotel scrounging food off the campers. FW itself we found a bit of a tourist trap (Tartan tins of shortbread central) but again, good for shopping/eating. It looks like it was heavily redeveloped in the noughties. Some empty boarded up shops on the main shopping bit to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbonic Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Forgot to add - the train from fort William to mallaig is regularly classed as one of the finest on the planet. Quite unlike most other Scotsrail journeys About 15 years ago we got the overnight train to Ft William from Preston. It had loads of pi$$ed scots blokes on it going home from the SE for Easter. The guard took one look at us trying to shove our 70L rucksacks with ropes n stuff tied to them and told us we had to shove them in the guards van for elf n safety reasons. The train mostly emptied at Glasgow and we continued to Ft William. When we got there and collected our rucksacks, my 3ft log ice axe strapped to the rucksack had been stolen! Some pi$$ed bloke had staggered out into a Glaswegian Saturday morning with a 3ft axe under his coat! No chance of compo from the rail company either. I've driven up ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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