Destination: Highland Council Part 4
Part 4 is the final destination for Highland Council. We are looking at Fort William, Glenfinnan and Glencoe. After the Isle of Skye, Fort William seems like a tiny area. However, there is a lot to do in the town. As you can see from the map, Ben Nevis is very close, and the Visitor Centre is right outside of town.
I think it’s hilarious that the only place under RETAIL THERAPY on the Visit Fort William website is Fort Williams Fishing Tackle Shop.
Things to do in and around Fort William
For more hiking around Fort William there’s Cowhill Trail. If you want a real challenge, the Original End of the West Highland Way is in Fort William. Booking a travel guide might be a good idea since this is a 6-8 day walk!
If you don’t fancy hiking out, town has a lot to offer:
The Jacobite Steam Train, or Hogwarts Express for Harry Potter fans, is an incredible way to experience the highlands. Being an Agatha Christie fan, my first thoughts were, “Murder on the Orient Express” and “What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw”.
It seems most people taking the train aren’t as addicted to Google Maps as I am. They don’t discover the 1 hour Mallaig Wildlife Cruise until it’s too late.
More to do in town:
- VisitScotland Fort William iCentre–set for closure October 10, 2025
- Cameron Square
- Duncansburgh Church
- St. Andrew’s Church
- West Highland Museum
- The Highland Bookshop
If you need a pick-me-up after sightseeing and shopping The Kilted Camel has excellent Google reviews. I was especially impressed that they have a pay it forward wall.
Fort William Outdoor Activities
- Cruise Loch Linnhe Options include: Seal Island Cruises, Evening Cruises, and Private Charters
- Paddleboard Fort William
- Hi-Bike if you prefer to bike around the highlands!
You can cycle the Great Glen Way. Or there are guided tours.
This looks like a great way to explore Scotland’s Great Glen Way: Walk, Bike & Barge with UTracks Travel.
Heading out of Fort William to Glenfinnan
Leaving Fort William, while traveling to all of the sights of Glenfinnan you pass Neptune’s Staircase. This is a lovely walk.
You really need a whole day for all of the Glenfinnan sights!
Ballachulish, Glencoe, and Glen Coe
Glencoe and Glen Coe… For those of us who find two similar names confusing, here is a simple explanation.
Glencoe is the village that sits at the foot of the glen, Glen Coe.
The confusion doesn’t stop there. If I understand this correctly, Ballachulish is actually three villages. North Ballachulish by Fort William. Cross the bridge and on the other side of the river is South Ballachulish. Then there is Ballachulish next to Glencoe.
Here are a few things to do and see in Ballachulish and Glencoe
- Inchree Falls
- Activity Centre @ Woodland Glencoe
- Ballachulish View
- St. John’s Scottish Episcopalian Church
- Ballachulish Peninsula
- Loch Leven a Ballachulish Wildlife Park on Ballachulish Peninsula
- Isle of Discussion, Eilean a’ Chombraidh
- Clachaig Inn This is a favorite eating spot for a friend. They have live music on the weekends.
- Coe River Waterfall (6 min walk from car park)
- Loch Achtriochtan, Glen Coe (there’s a car park)
Sights and Hikes Driving A82 Out of Glencoe
- The Meeting of the Three Waters
- Parking place with waterfall
- Glencoe Viewpoint
- Lagagarbh Cottage (Wee White House)
- The Devil’s Staircase (I’ll stick to watching the video and leave those kinds of trails to my daring cousins!)
- Altnafeadh Viewpoint
- Stob Dearg viewpoint Car Park
- Rannoch Moor Viewpoint
For anyone else who is wondering, “A Munro is a Scottish mountain with an elevation of more than 3,000 feet (914 metres), and you can ‘bag’ one by reaching the summit.”
Finishing up in Highland Council
The Concluding Loch and Lochan:
- Loch Ba Viewpoint
- Crossing Loch Ba Bridge
- Lochan na h-Achlaise Viewpoint
- Lochan na h-Achlaise South Viewpoint
The A82 drives into Argyll and Butte council soon after passing Lochan na h-Achlaise. The next post will continue our exploration into Argyll and Butte.
A special thanks to Pixabay photographers: AS_PHOTOGRAPHICS for Travel Nature, GregMontani for Train Hogwarts, Sjunker2018 for Glenfinnan, Monument Sightseeing, kellogem for two Fort William Scotland images, tanpoposan for Glencoe River Bridge
jimmy2820 for Glencoe Scotland, 68Larryew for Buachaille Etive Mor Mountain, MemoryCatcher for Glencoe Scotland, KarenRaven for Glencoe Scotland
SupportITNI for Loch Leven Glen Coe, clairegillan for Scotland Great Glen Way, debdenton for Mountain Range 3 Sister Mountains
