Fort William, Scotland

Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town, with only the city of Inverness being larger.

Fort William lies near the head of Loch Linnhe, one of Scotland's longest sea lochs, beside the mouth of the Rivers Nevis and Lochy. They join in the inter-tidal zone to briefly become one river before discharging to the sea. The town and its suburbs are surrounded by picturesque mountains. The area generally is reknowned for its beautiful beef, salmon, herrings and kippers.

Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. It is a centre for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. It is also known for its nearby downhill mountain bike track.

The cruise season is from May to September to take advantage of the longer days and warmer weather. Weather during the cruise season is mild to warm and the days are long. However this is an area where the weather changes rapidly and you can experience a number of seasons in the one day. Average high temperature in summer is only 18degsC (65degsF) so Cruise Lines often have advice on what clothes to take.

General Information:

Population: 10,000 (approx)
Language: English, Gaelic
Currency: British Pound
Time Zone: UTC/GMT +1 hour
Dialling code: +44 - 01397