Fort William is a perfect base to explore the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Situated at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, Fort William is a great base. Check out the top things to do in five days in Fort William, Scotland.
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Getting to and around Fort William
Fort William is a perfect base to explore the Scottish Highlands. If you have five days in Fort William, it’s best to have your own car so you can explore the area. Public transport is limited. There are some day tours available, but having your own car is best. You’ll be able to go where you want, when you want and spend as long as you like in each place. If the weather turns bad you can head back, or if the weather is surprisingly nice you can stay out for longer each day. Having your own car really is best!
There are loads of places to stay in Fort William, and also nearby. The town itself can be quite busy, so if you prefer staying somewhere quieter you can stay just outside. There are loads of campsites, and some have static caravans and lodges if you don’t want to bring your own tent or caravan. Fort William has plenty of supermarkets, petrol stations and restaurants so it’s nice to be nearby for convenience.
Fort William is also a great base if you’re doing a tour of Scotland. It’s about 2.5 hours to get up to the Isle of Skye, or 1.5 hours to Inverness or the Cairngorms.
How long should I spend in Fort William
There’s loads to do in Fort William, so you can spend as long as you’re able to. I’ve recommend five days in Fort William. To me, that meant I could explore the main areas and take some time to do some longer days trips and longer walks. The weather in Scotland can be unpredictable, and it’s highly likely you’ll have at least one or two rainy days on your visit. Having five days in Fort William means you can plan your days depending on the weather. If there’s a particularly rainy morning or afternoon you can just relax instead of having to go out.
If you’re looking for a walking guide for your time in Fort William, I’d really recommend this guide to walks in the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe area (affiliate). There are loads of great options with easy to follow maps as well.
Day 1: Glencoe
For my first day in the Fort William area, I decided to explore nearby Glencoe. Glencoe is one of the most famous glens in the area, and has an interesting, if sad, history. The Massacre of Glencoe took place in 1692. Around 30 members of the MacDonald Clan were killed by the Scottish government of the time, for not following the new monarchy.
There’s a car park at Glen Coe visitor centre, only just down the A road at Glencoe village. However, I decided to carry on just a couple of minutes more down the road to a free carpark at An Storr. From here, there are three coloured trails you can follow through the woodlands. My favourite was the black trail, but you can easily combine all three in a couple of hours.
From the car park, you first cross a bridge with great views of the river and surrounding mountains. The blue trail takes you up to signal rock, with some great views in gaps in the trees.
The black trail takes you on more woodland walks, with more views through the clearings. Keep your eyes out for the many birds that live in these woodlands. And if you’re lucky, you might spot a red squirrel. If you’re here in late spring/early summer, you can also see the rhododendrons in flower as well.
The paths are well marked so you won’t get lost. But they can be muddy and slippery after rain, so it’s best to have walking boots. It’s also a good idea to have some bug spray with you, as midges can lurk in the trees and they’re always hungry for any exposed skin!
If you’d like to walk further, you can check out some of the trails from the visitor centre as well.
Day 2: Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
Urquhart Castle is one of the most famous castles in the Scottish Highlands. Right on the edge of Loch Ness, the ruins of this medieval castle are fascinating to explore. Make sure you check whether you need to book in advance – during Covid-19 they were only allowing entry if you’d booked a ticket online.
Urquhart Castle dates back to the medieval times and was one of the strongest castles in the Scottish wars of independence. I spent about an hour walking around, reading the information boards and enjoying the views. The views across the loch are beautiful.
After finishing looking around the castle, you can choose one of the main walks in the area to further explore Loch Ness. One of my favourites starts in the car park near Fort Augustus, called Allt. From the car park, you can follow the well marked circular white trail. After a short but steep climb through beautiful woodland you reach a lovely viewpoint of Loch Ness at the top.
On your way back to Fort William, make sure you stop at Invergarry Castle. This ruined castle isn’t a tourist-y one that you.cam walk around, but there’s something sinister but magical about a hidden ruined castle. At the small town of Invergarry, follow the signposts on the other side of the A road to Glengarry Castle Hotel. Down a small single track road, you’ll find the castle. It’s too dangerous to explore inside, but you can still stop for a photo and imagine the stories these old walls hold.
Day 3: Glenfinnian Viaduct and walking around Ben Nevis
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is one of the most famous sights in the Scottish Highlands. It’s instantly familiar from the Harry Potter films, as the Jacobite steam train that crosses this bridge was used as the Hogwarts Express.
The steam train crosses the bridge twice a day. Check the train timetables if you want to see the train. The train will reach the bridge about 30-40 minutes after it is scheduled to leave Fort William. When I was visiting in June 2021, the train left at 10.15am and got to the Glenfinnan Viaduct just before 11am.
It’s best to get to the Glenfinnan visitor centre early as the parking can fill up with people eager to see the train. I got to the car park about 40 minutes before the train was scheduled, and got one of the last parking spaces. However, there’s plenty of space to stand to see the viaduct, so don’t be out off by the busy car park – you’ll still get a good view.
For me, seeing the train was worth the wait. It’s great to see such an iconic Harry Potter moment! After the train has gone past and the crowds have disappeared, you can still enjoy views of the viaduct. It’s impressive even without the train.
It’s also worth crossing the main road at the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre to the monument at the edge of the loch. The views here are lovely.
In the afternoon, head over to the Ben Nevis visitor centre for a walk. There’s information here about climbing Ben Nevis, so you can have a look and decide if you want to try it! Just remember it’s a serious climb and requires excellent preparation.
There are some lovely alternative walks if you don’t want to climb Ben Nevis. From the visitor centre car park, or the nearby Braveheart Car Park, there are some well signposted walks. I did the four mile yellow walk around Cow Hill. The views were amazing, so I’d recommend doing this walk on a sunny day if you’re able to.
The path climbs steeply in places but it’s well marked. At first you look down on Fort William, but the views get better the further round you go. It’s called Cow Hill because there are meant to be Highland Cows here, but I only saw sheep…so maybe it should be renamed as Sheep Hill! There are great views of Ben Nevis towards the end of the walk as well.
I spent just over 3 hours doing this walk, with plenty of time for photo stops. The views were just so amazing! But Ben Nevis stayed tucked up in his cloud blanket for the day.
Day 4: Nevis Range Gondola
If you’re lucky enough to have a relatively clear weather day during your stay in Fort William, I’d recommend taking a trip up the Nevis Range gondola to enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.
The gondola costs £22 for a return trip, plus £4.50 car parking for the day. The trip up in the gondola takes around 15 minutes and the views are great.
The the top there is a restaurant, although there are also plenty of places to stop if you want to bring your own picnic. There are two well marked walking trails at the top that take you to viewpoints. The one to the left as you walk out of the gondola takes around 20 minutes’ walk each way. The viewpoint to the right is around 30 minutes each way.
The amount of time you spend up here will depend on the weather. If the weather is nice, you could easily spend several hours up here.
The Nevis Range gondolas are popular with mountain bikers in the summer. You can watch bikers set off from the top, or give it a try yourself!
If you have some extra time, there’s also a walk at the bottom of the gondola through woodland.
The views from the top were a perfect way to end my final full day in Scotland. Just one more Scottish adventure remained for tomorrow!
Day 5: Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle is one of the top castles in Scotland. It’s a couple of hours’ drive from Fort William, and is between Glasgow and Edinburgh so it’s a perfect stop if you’re continuing your Scotland journey in either of these cities or heading down to England.
Stirling Castle sits at the top of a hill. Most of the buildings date from the 15th and 16th century. It was an important castle in the time of Mary, Queen of Scots as well as in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Walking around the castle, you can learn more about the reigns of the Tudors and Stewarts. You can also learn how the two Royal families of England and Scotland were linked and both fought for rule of both countries. You can book tickets in advance here.
The Royal Apartments were one of the first places I visited, along with the display of the Stirling Heads. The Great Hall and Chapel were also impressive structures, and it was great to be able to take photos inside.
The Wall Walk at Stirling Castle gives great views over the surrounding countryside. The situation of Stirling Castle at the top of a steep hill means you can see for miles.
In spring, the gardens at the Castle are also really beautiful. I spent about 2 hours here, which was plenty of time to go round slowly and see the main sights. Stirling Castle is a great place to visit on your way to any other areas of Scotland after five days in Fort William.
Enjoy spending five days in Fort William and the Scottish Highlands! Remember to check out this great walking guide for your trip (affiliate). If you’d like to explore more of Scotland, why not check out my guide to a week on the Isle of Skye or the Top 20 things to do in the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye.
This is so nice! The pictures of the nature and castles are so gorgeous. I look forward to doing a trip through Scotland and adding Fort William to the itinerary 🙂
Thank you! I really enjoyed visiting all the castles in the area, and the scenery is just beautiful. I hope you’re able to visit there soon!
I never actually visited Fort William itself, but I have been to all of the spots you’ve mentioned in your post! I loved Glencoe and visiting the castle along Loch Ness – very scenic!
There are so many beautiful places to explore in the area! I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip there.
Look how GREEN! Scotland is somewhere I’ve Never visited but would LOVE to one day, thanks for the inspiration!
Scotland is really beautiful, I hope you’re able to visit soon!