Fort William is a settlement in the Highlands of Scotland. Initially founded on the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town sits at the southern edge of the Great Glen, Fort William is located nearby 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 bank of the loch. When the railway opened to Fort William on 7 August 1894, the station was provided prime position at the south side of the town. The implication was that the town was divided from the lochside by railway tracks up until the 1970s when the present-day by-pass was built, and the station was re-located to the north side. According to the 2001 Census, it has a permanent resident population of close to 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 per cent of the population, can speak Gaelic. Fort William is a leading 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 because of its vicinity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. It is also known for its nearby downhill mtb 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 of your home refurbishments, be sure to identify credible contractors in Fort William to make certain of quality.