McNeill Holiday Lets
Fort William, the Lochaber area, Oban, Inverness and the village of Claggan.
Fort William is the Outdoor Capital of the UK and the house is in the perfect spot for walking or hill and mountain climbing.
It is only 1.2 miles, from the house, to the start of the Ben Nevis path. A short walk and you could be walking in the picturesque Glen Nevis where various films such as Braveheart, Highlander and Rob Roy, have been filmed.
Walking in the other direction will take you the short distance, 0.5 miles, to the base of the Cow Hill which is one of the main views from the front of the house.
At the foot of the Cow Hill and on the way to the town centre, you will find Lochaber Leisure Centre, here, you can go for a swim, take a dip in the hydrotherapy pool, relax in the sauna and steam room, take a fitness class or work out in their state of the art fitness room.
Have you ever walked inside a mountain? We can recommend a visit to Cruachan. The Hollow Mountain.
Experience the cavernous machine hall and power-generating turbines by travelling a kilometre through a drilled and blasted, dark, solid granite tunnel, inside one of the finest Munros in the Southern Highlands, Ben Cruachan, (3,694 feet). Inside the mountain there are subterranean conditions and the hidden turbines that are ready, at a moments notice, to kick into action and, using hydro power, send electricity to power Scotland.
You can also visit the many monuments around the Lochaber area: The Commando memorial, a category A listed monument, near Spean Bridge, dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II. The Czechoslovakian Special Operations Executive Training Memorial at Arisaig, dedicated to the hundreds of Czechoslovakian soldiers who were trained at the Special Operations Executive's Schools during the Second World War. The Glenfinnan Monument, an iconic monument with a lone, kilted Highlander at the top, honouring those who died fighting the Jacobite cause. Statues and Monuments in The Parade Fort William and many more.
At various times of the year The Jacobite Steam Train, (also known as another famous train in a certain wizard film series), will take you from Fort William to Mallaig, on what has been described as one of the the greatest railway journeys in the world. This is an 84 mile round trip which passes the most westerly mainland railway station in Britain, Arisaig; over the Glenfinnan viaduct which was designed by engineer, Robert McAlpine, nicknamed, "Concrete Bob", who was well known for his innovative use of mass concrete. The viaduct has since become famous thanks to a spectacle wearing young wizard and his films.
Mallaig is a small fishing village that was founded in the 1840's by Lord Lovat. From Mallaig you can catch ferries which will take you to the various isles, Skye, Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Mallaig is the main commercial fishing port on the west coast of Scotland and is also well known for its great fish and chips.
Claggan itself is a small community village in Fort William, within walking distance of Ben Nevis, the Cow Hill, Meall an t-Suidhe, the town centre, the Leisure Centre and various other activities and attractions.
There is a children's play/swing park near the house and a convenience store directly across from the house which opens until 10pm every night, where you can get the essentials.
Take a walk behind the store and you are immediately in part of Glen Nevis.
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Cross the old green bridge and you will stumble upon the old curling ponds and the recent curling stone sculptures, the curling ponds were once a hub of activity for local people, in a bygone era. Read all about what took place here on the information stand.
There is a local bus service to various areas around Fort William, this runs past a bus stop across from the house.
The bus and Train stations in Fort William run services out with Fort William to places such as Inverness/Urquhart Castle, Oban and Mallaig.
There are various other activities in Fort William or the Lochaber area to participate in.
Some of these include…
The Three Wise Monkeys climbing centre: An indoor climbing centre inside an old renovated church which hosts a bouldering wall and a roped climbing wall. They also have a café, climbing shop, sports massage, hold yoga classes and much more, this is suitable for Adults and Children.
The Ice Factor in Kinlochleven which has the world’s biggest indoor Ice climbing walls, auto belays on their, 135+ route, rock climbing walls, bouldering, aerial adventure course, café and small soft play area.
The Glencoe Activities centre, in Glencoe, offers a wide range of activities to suit everyone. We can personally recommend the Segway's, (don’t worry if you have never done this before), the guide is fantastic, anyone can do it, the course is great and they are a huge amount of fun and laughs. After all your fun why not treat yourself in their amazing café
You can play golf on their, Dragons Tooth Golf course, named due to the mountain behind the centre which you get fantastic views of. Play high wire jenga, or try your hand at archery, axe throwing or laser clay shooting! You can also hire e-bikes here.
A 5 minute walk from the house will take you to one of Fort William's Costa coffee shops, another few minutes’ walk from there and you will come to various shops such as, Poundstretchers, Argos, Marks and Spencer food hall, Aldi and Home Bargains.
It is less than a mile to Fort William town centre where you will find supermarkets, coffee shops, bars, restaurants, shops, takeaways, a newly built cinema that will be opening soon, the Nevis Centre: an entertainment centre with pin bowling, café, bar and children’s soft play area.
The West Highland Museum in the town centre, has free entry and is full of information and displays. There are art galleries, craft centres, markets, craft fairs and various displays that are held throughout the year like, The Lochaber Model Show.
Fort William also plays host to a variety of events throughout the year, including the mountain bike world cup, the Fort William Marathon, Fort Con, the Fort William Mountain Festival, various mountain races and the SSDT, Scottish six day motorbike trials.
You can take a boat trip down Loch Linnhe to Seal Island on Souters Lass, experiencing some of Scotland's best wildlife including, Porpoise, Seals and possibly a Golden Eagle. Enjoy fantastic views of Lochaber and the southern slopes of Ben Nevis.
Ben Nevis Distillery is 1.3 miles from the house, it is one of the oldest licensed Distilleries in Scotland. Why not take a tour around the Distillery and find out how Whisky is made? The tours are suitable for Children and Adults.
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Neptunes Staircase, only 2.9 miles from the house is a staircase lock comprising eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. Built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822, it is the longest staircase lock in Britain
Treasures of the Earth: One of Europes largest private collections of Crystals, Gemstones and Fossils, can be found 3.5 miles from the house in the village of Corpach.
Just under 6 miles away is Nevis Range mountain resort, host to the mountain bike world cup and Britain's only mountain gondola. The gondola will transport you 650m onto the slopes of Aonach Mor. Skiing is only available if there is snow on the mountain so please check their website for details. Even if you are not a skier you can take a trip up in the gondolas to the restaurant for a bite to eat and on a clear day look out at the fantastic views over Fort William and Loch Lochy. If you prefer to be active why not try the High Wire Adventure, suitable for children and adults or if you have taken your bikes with you there are many mountain bike trails, suitable for every level of rider. Nevis Range and the surrounding area of Lochaber has over 50km of cross-country trails that are open all year round. You can also Hire Bikes and E-bikes at, Nevis Cycles, Lochy Road, Inverlochy or Off Beat Bikes, High Street Fort William.
E-bikes are fantastic for anyone but especially those who find cycling a bit more difficult. It is amazing how many places and experiences are opened up to you when you are on an E-bike and there are so many cycle routes in Fort William and the surrounding areas which come with breath-taking scenery.
The Lochaber area can make a wonderful backdrop for weddings, or civil and vow renewal ceremonies.
The Silver Sands of Morar are a series of beautiful, white, sandy beaches, that dot the coastline from Arisaig to Morar which have stunning views out to the small Isles, Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna.
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Oban is 43.9 miles from Fort William, you can get there by car, bus or train; it is known as the, "Gateway to the Isles", but more recently has become known as the, "Seafood capital of Scotland".
Oban is a bustling fishing village with a good variety of shops and restaurants. You will find various leaflets in the house about activities and places to visit in and around the Fort William area.
Inverness, 64.5 miles away from the house passed Fort Augustus, Urquhart Castle and Drumnadrochit. A city on Scotland's northeast coast where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth. The largest city and cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands, It's Old Town features a 19th Century Cathedral besides which is a cafe an outdoor arena and Eden Court Theatre.
In the city you will find Victorian bridges, the museum and art gallery, the Victorian Indoor Market with various shops and cafes, many churches, old graveyards, a shopping centre/mall and a High Street with restaurants, cafe's and shops. There are a few shopping parks outside the city centre which also have cafe's, restaurants, shops and supermarkets. One of the shopping parks hosts Vue Cinema.
