FORT WILLIAM, UK

I took a train to fort william. again a 5 pound round trip. this is one of my favorite town in scotland, so far. the train ride was bliss. the view of the highlands was breath taking. i took a cruise down loch linnhe. it was a 8 pound ride for a 1hr half. the boat took us to seal island. next time i want to go further north. coming here is just like how i picture scotland would be.

Fort William (Gaelic: An Gearasdan, "The Garrison") is the largest town in the west highlands of Scotland. Originally based around the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town lies at the southern end of the Great Glen, on the shores of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil. It is close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, and the beautiful Glen Nevis. The town is a major tourist centre with Glencoe just to the south, and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. It is an important centre for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and other mountains. It is also well known for its nearby famous Downhill Mountain Bike Track and its connection to the Great Glen Way; a cycle way from Inverness to Fort William through the Great Glen.

The town is centred on the High Street, which was pedestrianised in the 90s. Off this there are several squares. Monzie Square (named after the Cameron Campbells of Monzie, Perthshire, former landowners in the town), Station Square, where the long-since demolished but often lamented railway station used to be, Gordon Square (named for the Gordons, who owned land where the town now stands in the late 1700s, during which time the town was named Gordonsburgh), and Cameron Square.

Just outside the town is a large aluminium plant, powered by the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme, in its day the biggest tunnelling project in the world. This was formerly served by the Lochaber narrow gauge railway.

The West Highland Line passes through Fort William. Owing to the difficult terrain in the area, the line from Glasgow, to the south, enters from the northeast and trains from Glasgow to Mallaig, the terminus of the line, have to reverse at Fort William railway station.

The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William.