The Gazetteer for Scotland Guidebook Series: Fort William Produced from Information Contained Within The Gazetteer for Scotland. Tourist Guide of Fort William Index of Pages Introduction to the settlement of Fort William p.3 Features of interest in Fort William and the surrounding areas p.5 Tourist attractions in Fort William and the surrounding areas p.9 Towns near Fort William p.11 Famous people related to Fort William p.14 This tourist guide is produced from The Gazetteer for Scotland http://www.scottish-places.info It contains information centred on the settlement of Fort William, including tourist attractions, features of interest, historical events and famous people associated with the settlement. Reproduction of this content is strictly prohibited without the consent of the authors ©The Editors of The Gazetteer for Scotland, 2011. Maps contain Ordnance Survey data provided by EDINA ©Crown Copyright and Database Right, 2011. Introduction to the city of Fort William 3 Located 105 miles (169 km) north of Glasgow and 145 miles (233 km) from Edinburgh, Fort William lies at the heart of Lochaber district within the Highland Council Settlement Information Area. The first fort was built at the mouth of the River Lochy in 1645 by General George Monk (1608-70) who named it Inverlochy, whilst the adjacent village which Settlement Type: small town became established due to the trade associated with the herring trade was named Gordonsburgh. In 1690 the Population: 9908 (2001) fort was enlarged and was renamed Fort William, whilst Tourist Rating: the village underwent several name changes from Gordonsburgh to Maryburgh, Duncansburgh, and finally National Grid: NN 108 742 by the 19th Century it took the name of Fort William, although remains known as An Gearasdan Fort William Latitude: 56.82°N Ionbhar-lochaidh - the Garrison of Inverlochy - in Gaelic. Longitude: -5.10°W Much of the old fort was being demolished to accommodate a railway station and sidings. Fort William Council Area Name: is a main station of the West Highland Line, which runs Highland from Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William and was opened in 1901. The introduction of the railway, the building of the Caledonian Canal and the west coast passenger steamers all contributed to making Fort William a busy tourist centre, a situation which still exists today. The town's proximity to the Nevis Range and the Aonach Mor has made it a popular base for skiers, snowboarders and climbers. Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest peak is located close by. Visitor attractions include the West Highland Museum, located in the town's Cameron Square, which houses a collection of Jacobite memorabilia, the Lochaber Leisure Centre and an 18 hole golf course. Nearby attractions include the Ben Nevis Distillery, the ruins of Inverlochy Castle, The Treasures of the Earth exhibition in Corpach and Neptune's Staircase, a series of locks designed in 1820 by Thomas Telford which linked the sea to the Caledonian Canal in Banavie. In addition to tourism, the production of aluminium at the Lochaber Smelter is an important local industry. Fort William Main Street Map of Fort William and surrounding areas 4 10 1 18 Features of Interest 15 1 1 Mullach nan Coirean 17 2 Stob Ban 20 3 Sgurr a' Mhaim 4 Am Bodach 5 Stob Coire a' Chairn 7 6 An Gearanach 7 Na Gruagaichean 12 8 Ben Nevis 16 4 2 2 9 Carn Mor Dearg 16 9 5 10 Aonach Beag 6 11 Aonach Mor 14 4 14 3 12 Loch Eil 13 13 Lochan Lunn Da-Bhra 3 5 14 River Lochy 11 15 Water of Nevis 9 16 River Lundy 8 10 17 River Loy 18 River Spean 19 19 Glen Nevis 11 20 Gleann Suileag 156 8 12 3 6 13 1 5 2 4 7 InsetInset mapmap isis notnot 0 2000 4000 8000 aavailablevailable Metres Tourist Attractions Towns and districts 1 Commando Monument 1 Gairlochy 2 Neptune's Staircase 2 Banavie 3 West Highland Museum 3 Inverlochy 4 Ben Nevis Distillery 4 Corpach 5 Samuel's Stone 5 Caol 6 Samuel's Cave 6 Lochyside 7 Torcastle 8 Achriabhach 9 Achaphubuil 10 Stronenaba 11 Blarmachfoldach 12 Blar a' Chaorainn 13 Trislaig 14 Camusnagaul 15 Moy 16 Duisky Features of interest in Fort William 5 Mullach nan Coirean Located at the west end of the Mamore ridge, south of Fort William in Highland region, Mullach nan Coriean rises to a height of 939m (3080 feet). The name Mullach nan Coirean is derived from the Gaelic for "summit of the corries". This is clearly apt, since the summit is on a plateau, below which there are a number of corries which are composed of red granite. Stob Ban Rising to a height of 999m (3278 feet) at the west end of the Mamore ridge in Highland region, Stob Ban derived its name from the Gaelic for "light coloured peak". This is appropriate since the cone shaped summit is composed of quartzite crystals which from a distance makes the peak look snow covered. Sgurr a' Mhaim One of four peaks known as the 'Ring of Steall' which form a horseshoe around Coire a' Mhail at Lochaber, Highland region, Sgurr a'Mhaim rises to 1099m (3606 feet) at the western end of the Mamore range to the south of Glen Nevis. Its summit is capped with quartzite and to the north and northeast are two sculptured corries. To the south there is a sharp arete known as Devil's ridge. The name Sgurr a' Mhaim is derived from the Gaelic for "peak of the large rounded hill". Am Bodach One of four peaks known as the 'Ring of Steall' which form a horseshoe around Coire a'Mhail in Lochaber, Highland Council Area, Am Bodach rises to a height of 1032m (3386 feet) to the north of Kinlochleven. Am Bodach's east face is particularly steep, especially above the head of Coire na Ba, the name Am Bodach being derived from the Gaelic for "The old man". Stob Coire a' Chairn Located north of Kinlochleven in Highland region, Stob Corie a' Chairn is one of four peaks collectively known as the 'Ring of Steall' which forms a horseshoe around Coire a' Mhail. Its summit is located at 982m (3218 feet) where the An Gearanach ridge heads north. The name Stob Coire a' Chairn is derived from the Gaelic for "peak of the corrie of the cairn". An Gearanach Located north of Kinlochleven in Lochaber, Highland Council Area, Am Gearanch is one of four peaks collectively known as the 'Ring of Steall' which forms a horseshoe around Coire a'Mhail. Its summit at 982m (3222 feet) is located on a short narrow ridge, projecting in a northerly direction from Stob Coire a'Chairn. The northern flank of the peak falls steeply down to Glen Nevis. The name An Gearanach is derived from the Gaelic for "the complainer". Na Gruagaichean Located northeast of Kinlochleven in Lochaber, Highland region, Na Gruagaichean rises to a height of 1056m (3456 feet). From the ground it appears to have a tent-like appearance and to have two summits. Its name is derived from the Gaelic for "the maidens". Features of interest in Fort William 6 Ben Nevis A granite mountain rising to a height of 1344m (4409 feet) to the east of Fort William in Lochaber, Ben Nevis is the highest peak not only in Scotland but in Great Britain. In association with Carn Mor Dearg to the northeast it forms a vast northwest-facing horseshoe. The northeast face of the mountain is possibly the most interesting with a grand array of cliffs composed of tough rocks that are suitable for climbing. The Tower and Castle Ridges and the imposing North-East Brothers are also popular with summer climbers. The 2-mile (3-km) long 610-m (2000-foot) high headwall is the most formidable rock face in Britain and provides the most challenging ice and snow climbing in the country. On the northeast ridge of Ben Nevis stand the ruins of a weather observatory that was manned between 1883 and 1904. A pony track was created to provide access to the observatory where Nobel prize-winning physicist Charles Wilson developed his ideas for the cloud chamber Ben Nevis which made the tracks of ionising particles - atoms - visible. William Speirs Bruce, leader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-04) worked in the observatory and learned to ski here. For a while the observatory operated as a temperance hotel and in 1911 a Model T Ford was driven to the summit. The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis was in 1771 by the botanist James Robertson and other early ascents were made by the African explorer Mungo Park and the poet John Keats (1818). In 2000 Ben Nevis was acquired by the John Muir Trust. Ben Nevis became popular with tourists following the opening of the West Highland Railway to Fort William in 1894 and in the following year the first Ben Nevis Hill Race was was run from foot to summit and back again. This event now takes place each year in September. An international Peace Cairn was erected on Ben Nevis by Bert Bissell from Dudley who made his 104th ascent of the mountain on his 90th birthday in 1992. A 4.5m (15 foot) tunnel associated with the Lochaber Hydro-Electric Scheme, supporting the Fort William Aluminium Smelter, cuts through the mountain, emerging at a height of 170m (560 feet) on the northwestern flank of the mountain above Fort William. Carn Mor Dearg A mountain in the Lochaber district of Highland Council Area, Carn Mor Derag rises to a height of 1220m (4003 feet) to the southwest of Ben Nevis to which it is connected by a narrow ridge.