|
The largest
town in the Highlands, Fort William is
dominated by the presence of Britain’s tallest
mountain, Ben Nevis, and lies at the southern
end of the Great Glen on the Road to the
Isles.
Now a major
tourist centre, it developed around a fort
built by Oliver Cromwell to suppress rebels
during the English Civil War.
It is
particularly noted for climbing, hill walking,
mountain biking and sightseeing, being the
finishing point for the 95-mile West Highland
Way as well as the terminus of the Great Glen
Way; the latter runs through the Great Glen,
following the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness,
to Inverness. |
Fort William Church - Photo:
Peter Whatley |
The movies “Rob
Roy” and “Braveheart” were both filmed in the
hills around the town and the West Highland Museum
contains significant mementoes of ‘Bonnie’ Prince
Charlie – including a bed he slept in – and his
Jacobite followers.
North of the
town, the village of Corpach lies at the
confluence of the lochs Eil and Linnhe and boasts
a ‘Treasures of the Earth’ museum which displays a
vast collection of minerals, gemstones, fossils
and crystals in cave settings.
Nearby, Neptune's
Staircase is a remarkable series of eight
high-rise locks on the 60-mile Caledonian Canal,
built by the Victorian engineer Thomas Telford.
The gaunt remains of Inverlochy Castle a few miles
away date from the 13th century. Once the seat of
the Comyns, some of the surviving walls are 10
feet thick.
|
