The 11 Best Things Every Traveler Should Do in Fort William Scotland
Fort William is definitely a popular town in the Highlands of Scotland.
And many people use it as a base to do all the outdoor activities that are nearby.
However I want to offer up the best things to do IN Fort William and not just NEAR Fort William.
Sure, climbing Ben Nevis and walking the West Highland Way or the Great Glen Way are things you can do around or near Fort William.
But in this post I’m going to give you a list of some things to do in Fort William and the immediate surroundings.
Let’s dive in with some geography first.
Where is Fort William?
Fort William is a little over 100 miles northwest from Glasgow.
It’s a good sized town with a population of around 10,000.
Fort William is known as the outdoor capital of Scotland because of all the outdoor activities you can do around it.
In fact, not only is the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis right there, but the town also sits at the inland eastern shore of Loch Linnhe, a sea loch.
Fort William really is in a strategic location and an ideal location for exploring Glen Coe to the South, the Nevis range to the East, the Great Glen and Loch Ness to the North and it’s the beginning of the road to the Isles which is a lovely drive from Fort William out to Mallaig.
You can also begin or end your walk of the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way at Fort William.
So yes, there is a lot to do around this town.
And I’ll add those at the end.
But let’s begin with some of the best things you can do in Fort William.
Eat at The Geographer
One of the best things to do in Fort William is to have a meal at The Geographer.
I had a couple of meals here on my recent visit and thoroughly enjoyed my meals.
The menu is not huge, which is actually a good thing.
The Geographer does cater to vegetarians and many of the dishes can be gluten free upon request.
Yay!
They also have a fabulous selection of beer and craft cocktails.
It’s a wee, bistro-like establishment so you may need reservations during the busy season.
But I’d say it’s the best place to eat in Fort William.
And they are open for lunch as well as dinner.
Have breakfast or lunch at The Old Deli
This is a favorite with travelers and locals.
And when locals are frequenting a restaurant or cafe you know it has to be pretty good.
The Old Deli does a wonderful breakfast and brunch according to reviews.
I didn’t have breakfast food though as I happened to go in for a late lunch on a cold day.
I had some tasty soup, a spot of tea and a gluten free treat.
Everything was delicious.
So a meal at The Old Deli is must for your time in Fort William.
Pop into Rain Bakery
Full disclosure: I only bought some gluten free treats from this bakery and coffee shop.
But the treats are tasty!
This is another spot in Fort William where I’d see locals hanging out, having coffee, breakfast or lunch.
It’s another cafe type place where you can get brunch as well.
While it’s a new establishment in town, Rain Bakery seems to have quickly become a favorite amongst the locals.
I’d go back (when COVID is not raging like when I was in Fort William in November and December 2021) and sit in the cafe and have a proper meal here.
Have a pint at Black Isle Brewing Company
No visit to Fort William is complete without a visit — and a taste — to Black Isle Brewing Company.
Having a pint here is one of the best things to do in Fort William for sure!
So let me backup a bit.
Black Isle Brewery is an organic brewery located on the Black Isle in the Highland region of Scotland near the village of Munlochy.
This puts it just north of Inverness.
And there are 2 Black Isle Brewery bars — one in Inverness and one in Fort William.
I can attest to the fact that the one in Fort William is quite popular with the locals as well as travelers.
They do have wood-fired pizzas here so you can eat while you taste some of their amazing beers.
And you can also hear music at Black Isle.
I was there on what seemed to be an open mic night.
There are some talented folks in Fort William!
Another note is that dogs are allowed in this brew pub.
I’m always a fan of dog friendly establishments.
If you are a beer aficionado, then you have to go to Black Isle Brewery.
Have a wee dram at Grog & Gruel
This pub / restaurant is a definite favorite with travelers.
But it’s also popular with locals.
I didn’t eat at this pub, but the food looked like some decent pub grub.
Nothing super spectacular but a nice array of burgers for sure.
What The Grog & Gruel has is a great selection of Scottish whiskies.
I visited twice (it was during COVID times so I didn’t get out a lot) and on the second visit I was treated to some fantastic Scottish traditional music.
It was so much fun!
This makes a visit to the Grog & Gruel one of the best things to do in Fort William.
Well, the music plus the whisky plus all the fun locals and fellow travelers.
Tour Ben Nevis Distillery and have a wee taste
Fort William has one whisky distillery and that distillery is Ben Nevis.
Named after the famous peak, the whiskies are pretty darn good.
Not my favorite, but definitely good.
The tour, however, is excellent.
There is a lot of history at Ben Nevis Distillery.
So you get that history interwoven into how Scottish whisky is made.
Then you get to taste a few whiskies at the end of the tour, of course.
This experience is definitely one of the best things to do in Fort William.
Visit the Highland Soap Company
I love this shop!
And not only is there a wee shop in the heart of town, but just on the outskirts of Fort William you’ll find the place where they make the soap and lotions and all the other goodies.
In fact the Highland Soap Company Visitor Center (as they call it) and Larder (a cafe) is right near Old Inverlochy Castle (see below) and across the street from Ben Nevis Distillery.
You can walk from the heart of town on the beginning (or end) of the Great Glen Way and be there in about 20 minutes.
It’s one of the best things to do in Fort William without a doubt.
The Visitor Center is a larger version of the shop in town.
You can peek through the window and watch them make some soap.
And you can get something to eat or maybe a warming coffee or tea at the cafe.
The gluten free brownies are delicious!
I love all the organic and natural soaps, lotions, shampoos and conditioners.
The Scottish Heather soap is my favorite as is the Wild Nettle and Heather lotion.
And I’ve discovered a shampoo bar — the Seaweed one — that I actually like.
Good way to reduce the use of plastic!
Wander about Old Inverlochy Castle
This is a ruined, old castle, but it’s worth a wander about especially in conjunction with the above.
Old Inverlochy Castle dates back to the 1200’s and was quite a formidable fortress back in the day.
It was the stronghold of ‘Red’ Comyns who were the lords of Badenoch and Lochaber.
The Comyns dominated northern Scotland in the 1200s, and were key supporters of King John Balliol
This put them at odds with Robert the Bruce.
Anyway…
There are few castles that have survived unaltered from the 1200’s.
So Inverlochy is one of the most complete thus making it one of the best things to do in Fort William.
It makes a nice day to walk along the Great Glen Way to the castle, wander about the castle, then visit the Highland Soap Company and Larder then walk back to town.
Peruse the books at the Highland Bookshop
Book lovers and lovers of independent book shops absolutely have to visit the Highland Bookshop.
While it doesn’t have the look of some cool old book shops like Shakespeare and Company in Paris, the selection of local books is fabulous.
If you want to read some fiction on the Highlands, you’ll find a good book.
If you want to read some non-fiction on the area, you’ll find something interesting for sure.
If you need some guidebooks or maps, they have those too.
It’s just a pleasant, independent book shop with friendly and helpful staff.
Definitely one of the best things to do in Fort William for you bookworms.
Walk along Loch Linnhe and watch the sunset
Fort William sits at on the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe where the loch ends.
What do you call that most inland point of a sea loch?
Well, that’s about where Fort William is on the shores of Loch Linnhe.
You can actually walk along the loch, heading south from town as there is a sidewalk.
The bad thing is that it is along a busy road.
The upside is that you can find little paths to tuck down to the loch and wander along the rocky shore.
Not far from the center of town, there is a wee park where you can soak in the view and even watch the sunset if you have clear weather.
I do think walking along Loch Linnhe, at least a little ways out of town, is one of the best things to do in Fort William.
And if you can do it as the sun goes down, even better.
Hike Cow Hill Summit/Circuit trail
The absolute best thing to do in Fort William is to hike the trail to the summit of Cow Hill.
The views from this trail are gorgeous.
During my 2 months in Fort William I walked to the summit quite a few times.
You have views to Ben Nevis, Fort William, toward Glen Coe and down Loch Linnhe.
*Sigh*
The trail is rocky but not long.
It’s just a constant uphill walk.
But I think the views, even on the way up to the summit, are stunning.
Ben Nevis comes into view — if it’s not hidden in the clouds — and you have a constant view of the UK’s highest peak for a lot of the walk up to where the trail splits.
You can simply walk the Cow Hill Circuit which stays lower and will circle back toward town — or rather just above Fort William.
If you choose the summit trail, then you’ll be rewarded with 360 views.
Yes, it’s a bit steep in spots.
But it’s so worth it.
You can access the trail by walking up Lundavra Road.
You’ll see the signs.
Don’t miss this hike!
So there are the 11 best things to do in Fort William
There are definitely a lot more places to eat and to drink as well.
Had Omicron not appeared, I would have gone out to a few more pubs and restaurants.
I know I’ll return as I do like Fort William.
While it’s not as picturesque as St Andrews or the East Neuk villages, it still has a lot of natural beauty around it so the surroundings are gorgeous.
Before I end this post, I do want to add a few things to do in the area in a short list below.
- Hike Ben Nevis (the obvious one!)
- Explore Glen Coe just to the south
- Walk the West Highland Way
- Walk the Great Glen Way
- Check out Neptune’s Staircase (some of the locks of the Caledonian Canal)
- Take the Road to the Isles and stop at Glenfinnan and Morar. This is a stunning drive!
Happy travels!
Please note that Wander Your Way is only recommending international travel to those who are vaccinated and feel comfortable doing so. While travel to Europe is getting easier, we are still not out of the woods with COVID.
If you do decide to travel internationally, please do your research or use a travel planning service such as Wander Your Way. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.
And if you are ready to go soon, please contact Lynne for any assistance you may need.
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