It was a morning full of delights: waking up in a comfy bed with time to snooze, seeing the clear blue sky from the bedroom window, enjoying a lazy and delicious breakfast overlooking the loch, and putting on “regular clothes and shoes” for my day off. My friend was going back to London that morning and I had decided to stretch my time here before the long commute home, a wise choice after just completing the West Highland Way.
Fort William is rarely considered a destination in itself, rather a jumping off point to the various stunning sights nearby of Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Glenfinnan, etc. I felt I had done enough touring these past few days (!) and was looking forward to relax and explore the town at a slow place. What better way to start than on the water?
I booked a sightseeing cruise first thing in the morning with Cruise Loch Linnhe – the weather was just too good to wait until the afternoon and risk it!
Oh the joy of feeling the sun on my face and the cool sea breeze without having to move my legs! Joking aside, I surprisingly wasn’t as sore as I thought I would be after my 95-mile walk but really enjoyed the luxury of sitting and watching the beautiful scenery pass by as we glided away from Fort William.
Loch Linnhe is about 10 miles long and 1 mile wide and the two-hour boat trip is just the right length to see the most interesting sights and some wildlife.
There are also very modern, industrial scenes as you pass by lumber processing facilities right on the shore.
The imposing silhouette of Ben Nevis was always in the background, looming over Fort William.
Traditional dwellings of smallholders contrasted vividly with the rugged landscapes.
Salmon farms also dotted the shores to supply booming demand.
We were on our way to see a different kind of animal though as we approached a black, rocky outcrop.
Black Rock, affectionately known as ‘Seal Island’ amongst locals, is a sanctuary for both the Common and Atlantic Grey seals that call Loch Linnhe home.
We turned off the engine and glided in silence around the colony to get a closer look at these charming creatures.
As we made our way back to Fort William, the skipper stopped at a calculated viewpoint to show us the “elephant”, an amusing and quite effective illusion of the mountains showing as a lovely pachyderm with Ben Nevis as the head – worth the photo op!
Back on land, time to explore Fort William’s compact center and its pedestrian-only High Street. It starts by the end of the West Highland Way and its “sore feet statue” – it was just a bit too early in the day to witness the arrivals of proud walkers!
In Cameron Square, an unmissable statue commemorates the Model T that was successfully driven to the top of Ben Nevis in 1911 as a publicity stunt.
The square is also home to a delightful seafood restaurant, Crannog at Garrison West.
The kind of elevated pub I love so much, bringing equal part warmth and sophisticated food.
The daily specials on the chalkboard menu were all incredibly tempting and in front of too many choices I end up often going for a tasting of sort which was divine – bisque, gin-cured smoked salmon, crab salad, garlic king prawns, and homemade soda bread.
The vanilla and ginger cheesecake didn’t disappoint either.
The rest of the afternoon was spent absorbing the history and gothic architecture in between light rain showers.
The High Street, clearly catering to the taste of the many passing tourists, had plenty of West Highland Way memorabilia, enough tartan and tweed to cover its 100-mile length, and a few eclectic art galleries if you dreamt of filling your home with paintings of Highland cows.
There was only one way I knew to close out my trip to Scotland – an unfussy and comforting meal of “haggis neeps n’ tatties” in a tavern with a strong local beer. It hit all the right spots and would send me to sleep pronto.
Thankfully there was still time for one last loch side walk at sunset …
Au revoir Fort William! Took a morning bus back to Glasgow (sadly the train wasn’t running on Sunday mornings) which appeared to be equally as scenic!
This bus ride was truly a revelation – not only did it retrace our entire West Highland Way trek in reverse, it did it in just over 3 hours!!! I was glued to the window, reliving the last 7 days and squinting to spot walkers amid the rugged scenery whizzing by. The only thing really that was completely missing was day 5 and the 13 or so miles we did without any road or civilization in sight.
So yes, the Highlands are spectacular and you can get a pretty good view from the seat of a train or a bus but honestly, walking the West Highland Way is truly the best way to take them all in. Go slow my friends or you’ll miss the best bits!
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