Fort William
Fort William is a settlement in the Highlands of Scotland. Originally based on the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town is found at the southern end of the Great Glen, Fort William is found beside the head of Loch Linnhe, among Scotland's longest sea lochs, next to 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 shore of the loch. When the train line opened to Fort William on 7 August 1894, the station was provided prime position at the south end 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 developed, and the station was re-located to the north end. According to the 2001 Census, it has a permanent resident population of close to 9908. This makes Fort William the second 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 per cent of the population, can speak Gaelic. Fort William is a major 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 hub for hillwalking and climbing thanks to its proximity to Ben Nevis and lots of other Munro mountains. It is also known for its local 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 makeovers, make certain to find reputable specialists in Fort William to make certain of quality.