Fort William Travel Guide – Visit Fort William – Budget Travel In Scotland

Located in the Scottish Highlands, visit Fort William for the perfect base for outdoor adventures.

Described as the ‘outdoor capital of the UK’, there are many trails that run from the town centre offering incredible views of the surrounding area including the Ben Nevis mountain range.

My Scottish trip had so far taken in Edinburgh and Inverness where I enjoyed a whole day exploring the entire Loch Ness area. I was looking forward to more of this type of activity in Fort William.

Ben Nevis: To Climb Or Not To Climb?

Once I discovered that Fort William was located near the Ben Nevis range, I asked friends whether I should attempt to climb it or not. Bearing in mind I had no specialist clothing or footwear, the response was a firm NO! Only days before my visit, the body of a young Slovakian had been recovered after he had gone missing. When I arrived at my hostel, I asked a few people there if they had attempted it. It was clear from their expression that it would be a suicide mission. If you do want to attempt to climb Ben Nevis, always check the weather warnings and ask your hostel for advice.

Where To Stay In Fort William

These are some of the best budget hostels in Fort William, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Glen Nevis Youth Hostel
• Chase The Wild Goose Hostel
• Prime Location Rooms In High Street

Fort William Backpackers

I booked a stay at Fort William Backpackers. I caught a bus from Inverness and the bus station and train station are both around ten minutes walk from the hostel. The views from the bus were wonderful.

I arrived at the hostel around 3 pm. Check in wasn’t until 5 pm but I had been told I could relax in the lounge and wait. I figured I could do a bit of blogging as I waited but the WiFi wasn’t working meaning I had to actually talk to people 🙂 The lounge was very cozy.

The guests and the volunteers were all very friendly and I got some tips as to what I could do during my 3 day stay here.

The dorm rooms were basic but comfortable. There are no lockers and no charge points by each bed, though each room does have a charging station.

The kitchen area is a good size and very well equipped. I saved money by cooking in every night. The kitchen is a real social area where people cook and chat together. On one evening, one of the volunteers cooked a massive chili for all the guests.

Fort William Backpackers is a fantastic place to stay. The owners are very friendly and chatty and, because they are helped by volunteers, there is a fantastic vibe to the place. It is in a great location too. I would definitely recommend a stay here.

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I paid £62.50 for a three night stay in a 6 bed dorm with shared bathroom.

Things To Do In Fort William

I had a few negative reports of Fort William before I arrived. People said there was nothing to do and it was “a concrete s***hole”. I really cannot understand how people would make such comments. Whilst the town centre might not be the most exciting place, the surrounding area of Fort William is stunning.

Cow Hill

The Cow Hill trail (map) started right outside the hostel I was staying at. Having sensibly decided that climbing Ben Nevis would be far too risky, I opted for the next best thing: climbing Cow Hill to look across at Ben Nevis.

Even just halfway up the hill, the views were impressive.

At the top of the hill, you can look out over the Ben Nevis mountain range.

The views over Fort William were breathtaking from up here.

I then proceeded to make my way down the other side of Cow Hill where I caught up with the Peat Trail.

The Peat Trail led me to the West Highland Way which I followed to make my way back to the town centre.

Dun Deardail Fort

I had tried to get to Steall Waterfall (map) by hitching on Glen Nevis Road. I had been assured this would be a simple task but it proved not to be so. I needed a plan B and I noticed I was about an hour away from ‘Dun Deardail Fort’ (map). I decided that would be my destination.

It was quite a steep walk to the fort only to find there is actually nothing left of the fort at all! A little disappointing then but the walk was amazing as you are literally facing Ben Nevis to your left side.

Morrisons Fort William

OK, I know it seems a bit strange adding a supermarket to a things to do list. However, the Morrisons at Fort William is a great place to shop for the budget traveller. If you visit around 4.30 pm, you should be able to pick up some real bargains; look for the yellow sticker section in front of the meat and poultry. I bought bags of salad for 5p, packs of deli meat for 17p and a chicken bhuna for £1. I came here everyday and bought full meals for less than £1 every time. Map.

Neptune’s Staircase

Neptune’s Staircase is the biggest staircase lock in Scotland at a quarter of a mile long. The water level rises 19 metres and it takes boats 90 minutes to pass through the lock. There is a cafe on the lock which is a nice place to grab a drink. Map.

Old Inverlochy Castle

Located on the River Lochy, this 13th century ruin was the location of three battles and is considered one of the more important castles in Scotland’s history. Admission is free as it is not staffed. Map.

West Highland Museum

The West Highland Museum is a museum based in an old bank housing exhibits on local life and history as well as the 1745 Jacobite rising. It’s a free museum and might not interest everyone, but it’s worth a visit. Map.

Click here for West Highland Museum opening times and other information.

Wildcat Vegan Cafe

The Wildcat is a vegan cafe located on the town’s High Street. They serve excellent coffee with refills for just £1. They have a variety of vegan cakes and a limited menu that changes each day. They also sell zero-waste groceries including household cleaning products. Even the loo roll is environmentally friendly. They play cool music and I really enjoyed having a couple of drinks here. Highly recommended. Map.

Is Fort William Worth Visiting?

I wasn’t expecting much from Fort William due to people’s comments before I arrived. Thankfully, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I spent two days doing a lot of walking and enjoying the immense beauty of the surrounding area. The hostel was great and I met some friendly people. Fort William is definitely worth adding to your Scotland itinerary.

For more information, visit https://visitfortwilliam.co.uk/