Fort William is a settlement in the Highlands of Scotland. Initially formed on the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town is located at the southern edge of the Great Glen, Fort William sits close to the head of Loch Linnhe, one of Scotland's longest sea lochs, near the mouth of the rivers Nevis and Lochy. It is near to Ben Nevis, the highest peak 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 offered prime position at the south side of the town. The consequence was that the town was detached from the lochside by railway tracks up until the 1970s when the present by-pass was constructed, and the station was re-located to the north side. In accordance with 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, forming 7.33 percent of the population, can speak Gaelic. Fort William is a significant tourism 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 numerous other Munro mountains. It is additionally known for its nearby downhill off-road bicycle 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 enhancements, be sure to find reliable specialists in Fort William to make certain of quality.