Introduction

This evening, I am posting information on the Lochaber district of Scotland which is a popular visitor destination.

Lochaber is a 1795 sq. mile district in the west of the Scottish Highlands which is centred on Fort William. This is a region of low population density with just 1.7 people per sq km (excluding Fort William).

Popular sites and places include Rannoch Moor in the south and Ardamuchan and Mallaig in the west. Glen Spean lies to the N.E whilst to the north is the Great Glen and Caledonian Canal.

Lochaber landscape

The landscape was moulded by the last ice age which ended about 12,500-11,500 years ago. During the ice-age Fort William was covered by an ice sheet about 1 km thick. The ice shaped the mountains, corries, arêtes, and classic glacial features such as U-shaped valleys. During the ice age Ben Nevis (4413 ft.) and other high mountains would have formed Nunataks poking through the ice. The Great Glen Fault was further excavated by glacial movements resulting in a series of lochs (lakes) including Loch Ness.

Visitor sites

Fort William is the de facto capital of Lochaber and is marketed as the ‘Outdoor Capital’ of Scotland. This town sits at the foot of Ben Nevis and forms one end of the West Highland Way hiking trail. Fort William is home to a wide range of accommodations and facilities for tourists.

The less energetic can join the Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig or ride the gondola up Aonoch Mor (4006 ft.). The more active can engage in hiking, climbing, sailing, kayaking, wildlife boat trips and mountain biking. Skiing and snow boarding is available in winter.

Visiting Fort William

Fort William can be reached by road, rail and scheduled bus services.There is an airport at Inverness, sixty-six miles to the N.E.

More information

For more information on Fort William, the West Highland Way, Mallaig and many other sites please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4.