Fort William
Fort William is a settlement in the Highlands of Scotland. Initially formed on the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town is found at the southern side of the Great Glen, Fort William lies nearby the head of Loch Linnhe, among Scotland's longest sea lochs, near the mouth of the rivers Nevis and Lochy. It is near to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, Glen Nevis and the town of Achnaphubuil is on the opposite coast of the loch. When the railway opened to Fort William on 7 August 1894, the station was bestowed prime position at the south end of the town. The result was that the town was divided from the lochside by train tracks up until the 1970s when the current by-pass was constructed, and the station was re-located to the north end. According to the 2001 Census, it has a permanent resident population of around 9908. This makes Fort William the 2nd largest settlement in the Highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger. Within this population, around 726 people, representing 7.33 percent of the population, can speak Gaelic. Fort William is a significant tourist centre, with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the east and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. It is a centre for hillwalking and climbing as a result of its proximity to Ben Nevis and several other Munro mountains. It is also known for its nearby downhill mountain bike track. It is the start and end of both the West Highland Way (Milngavie-Fort William) and the Great Glen Way (a walk/cycle way Fort William-Inverness). For all your home renovations, make certain to identify respected contractors in Fort William to make certain of quality.
