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Fort William Scotland Cruise Port Guide
Location:
This port is nestled in the Heart of the Highlands at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK.
The ship anchors out in Loch Linnhe with the shortest tender trip in Scotland, if not the world! The tenders will take passengers to the Fort William Pontoons from where they can get straight onto the coaches to go on pre-booked tours.
For those who want to explore the area, it is a short walk from the Fort William Pontoons to the town center which has all the amenities that you would need such as shops, pharmacy, banks, restaurants, cafes, museum, etc.
Cruise calendar for this port.
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Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers
Monthly Climate Averages for Fort William United Kingdom
Sightseeing:
Fort William offers one of the most sheltered harbors in the West Highlands of Scotland.
Fort William is the largest town in Lochaber – the Outdoor Capital of the UK, located in the Heart of the Highlands of Scotland at the foot of Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in the UK (1344m).
The Gaelic name for Fort William is ‘An Gearasdan’ – meaning The Garrison and was named after the Dutch King William of Orange around 1690. The Old Fort, whose remnants you can visit today, was a replacement for Old Inverlochy Castle which was built to guard the entrance to the River Lochy.
There are a variety of shops and restaurants in the Town Center for all tastes and requirements as well as the fascinating Lochaber Geopark Visitor Center and the West Highland Museum where you can find out all about the Commandos training in Achnacarry Estate before heading off to battle in WW2 or learn about the old Model T-Ford that was driven up and down Ben Nevis in 1911!
Tourist Information – at the east end of the High Street. Pick up various walking maps here.
Highlights:
Tours Excursions Transportation:
The center of Fort William is small enough to get around on foot.
The Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig: Travelling on the Old Jacobite Steam Train like Harry Potter over the Glenfinnen viaduct passing the Bonnie Prince Charlie memorial and end up in the lovely little fishing village, Mallaig!
Taking the only mountain gondola in the UK to see amazing views and have a coffee at the restaurant at the top of Aonach Mor on the Nevis Range.
Going on a guided tour around our 178 year old Ben Nevis Whisky Distillery and 'take a dram' and savor the Uisge beatha - the water of life.
Visiting one of the most scenic glens in Scotland where Rob Roy and Braveheart were filmed and see the lovely Lower Falls and maybe young people jumping into the deep waters below!
Heading down to the village of Glencoe, the location of the most heinous crime in which the Clan Campbell soldiers were taken into lodgings during a bad snow storm, stayed with their hosts for around 2 weeks and were then ordered to slay them!
Taking a taxi to Loch Ness to Fort Augustus passing the awe inspiring Commando Memorial on the way and see if you can see Nessie!
Local Buses – the bus terminal is located alongside Morrisons Supermarket and there are services to various locations around Lochaber. Note that these are not always frequent so be sure of the timetable before committing to a service.
Taxis are available outside the Job Center in the west of town and Tesco Supermarket in the east end of the town. There are no set prices. You should confirm your price prior to commencing your journey.
It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.
Nearby Places:
Around Fort William you will find all sorts of attractions from looking for Nessie, the monster in Loch Ness, Inverlochy Castle, The Nevis Mountain Range experience and The Ben Nevis Whisky Distillery.
Shopping and Food
Shopping hours are generally: Small stores – 6 or 7 days a week from 9am to 6pm Large stores – 7 days a week generally 8am to 10pm but close earlier on Sundays
Currency:
The currency throughout the UK is the pound (£). You may also hear the slang term quid for pounds. Scottish bank notes are frowned upon in other parts of the UK, so change the notes before leaving Scotland.
Cash machines (ATM) or less formally 'holes in the wall' are very widely available and usually dispense £10 and £20 notes.
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, are accepted by most shops and restaurants.
Communication:
English is spoken throughout the country, but sometimes with heavy accents!
Most cafe's and restaurants offer free WiFi.
Free WIFI is available in Cameron Square in the center of the town (Network: West Highland Museum, Password: Jacobite). Also in Fort William Library on showing ID.
The local emergency telephone number is 999 or 101 for non-urgent calls.
Opening Hours and Holidays:
Shopping hours are in general:
Small stores 6 or 7 days a week (10am - 6pm)
Larger stores in general stay open til' 9PM
Hypermarts often 24/7
Holidays in the United Kingdom
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