Unmissable things to do in Fort William

Ben Nevis requires little introduction. With a wild heart, an adventurous spirit and a flair for drama, the legendary peak towers above glistening lochans and deep glacial valleys. In Scotland, you can't get any higher than this.

Ben Nevis Distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland and is home to The Legend of the Dew of Ben Nevis Visitor Centre.

The Lochaber Geopark is home to some of the most breath-taking and awe-inspiring scenery in the world. The Geopark is recognised for its outstanding and unique geological heritage. Explore mountains, lochs, rivers, coasts, cliffs and sandy beaches, look out for some wonderful wildlife, and learn how our landscape has been shaped over many millions of years.

Described as one of the great railway journeys of the world, this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes. Starting near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, the Jacobite Steam Train* visits Britain's most westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain, Loch Morar and the shortest river in Britain, River Morar, finally arriving next to the deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis!

* Please note that the Jacobite Steam Train is running with reduced capacity for the 2024 season. Please check directly for the latest availability.

Visit the West Highland Museum, world famous for its Jacobite exhibits but also for housing an excellent local history collection from archaeology to the present day. Discover a nationally important collection telling the turbulent history of the West Highlands, with fascinating objects ranging from Rob Roy’s sporran to treasure from a shipwrecked Spanish Armada galleon.

One of Scotand's Great Trails, the Great Glen Way has something for all wayfarers with 79 miles of path, track, canal and loch to discover. Starting in Fort William and finishing in Inverness, the route can be walked or cycled with mountains and lochs as a stunning backdrop. The off-road trail is on paths and tracks as well as along canal and loch shores.

With skiing up to 1190 metres, Nevis Range reaches high on to the mountain of Aonach Mor and offers skiing and boarding running late into the season into the spring. The base of the snowsports area is accessed by the UK’s only Mountain Gondola taking visitors to 650 metres. The beginner's area is literally a stone’s throw away from the Snowgoose Café at the Top Station, with a variety of easy green and blue graded runs. An artificial slope also provides skiing opportunities when snow is lean.

Don't miss the chance to catch a thrilling game of shinty, a sport older than our recorded history! The Camanachd Cup Final in September is the "Greatest Day!" in the annual shinty calendar, attracting thousands of spectators and broadcast live by BBC Scotland across TV, radio and online platforms. This is the final of shinty's national knock-out cup competition and sees two of the country's top teams, battle it out to lift one of Scotland's oldest and most iconic sporting trophies.

Fort William and mountain biking go together like bread and jam. The Outdoor Capital of the UK has been a staple of the Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup calendar for over 15 years. All around the region, you can enjoy a vast array of trails with good quality single-tracks, spectacular scenery in the shadow of the UK's highest mountain Ben Nevis and a chance to catch your breath as you admire the view.

Try a game of golf at the foot of Ben Nevis or by the sea! The Fort William Golf Club is a good challenging course with fantastic views below the towering cliffs of Ben Nevis. Out in the west near Arisaig is Traigh Golf Course - one of the prettiest courses in the Highlands with terrific sea views and sunsets. North of Fort William is Spean Bridge Golf Club with a great clubhouse and views towards Ben Nevis and the Mamores. Down in Ballachulish, is The Golf Course at Woodlands Glencoe, a very scenic location below towering mountains.

Enjoy a variety of boat cruises, boat hire, boat charter on the west coast of Scotland, Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. Loch Shiel Highland Cruises provides scenic boat trips down Loch Shiel to Acharacle and from Mallaig, Western Isles Cruises offers sea cruises on the Sound of Sleat and Loch Nevis to Inverie, and operate one of the local ferries. Hop aboard with Cruise Loch Linnhe for a 2 hour boat trip to see the local seal colony, as well as some of Fort William's best historic and cultural sights. Arisaig Marine also operate a boat trip out to Eigg, Rum and Muck.