Fort William Accommodation
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Sleeping
Fort William has plentiful accommodation, ranging from large luxury hotels to modest guesthouses and B&Bs. Many of the B&Bs are in Corpach and Banavie to the north of town. As a main tourist centre, Fort William gets very busy in the high season and you'll need to book ahead at this time. The tourist office will book a room for you, for a small fee, or you can ask for their free Fort William & Lochaber Visitor Guide and phone around yourself.
Hotels
Inverlochy Castle Hotel, 3 miles north of town on the A82 to Inverness, Tel. 702177, Fax. 702953, www.inverlochy.co.uk 16 rooms. One of the best hotels in the country, and everything you'd expect to find in a real castle: unsurpassed elegance, impeccable service and superb food (see Eating below), all set in 500 acres of beautiful grounds.
Situated on the banks of Loch Linnhe with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. High standards of comfort and service and creative Scottish cuisine combine with the warmth of highland hospitality. The Hotel offers a choice of double, twin and family rooms all en-suite. more details about Innseagan House hotel
Ben Nevis Hotel and Leisure Club is at the foot of Ben Nevis. Friendly, helpful staff, but accommodation in need of a little updating. Late Rooms Availability for Ben Nevis Hotel & Leisure Club in Fort William
The Moorings Hotel, 3 miles out of town in Banavie, on the road to Corpach and Mallaig, Tel. 772797, Fax. 772441. 21 rooms. Overlooks 'Neptune's Staircase'; well situated and comfortable with an excellent restaurant. Late Rooms Availability for Moorings Hotel in Fort William
Alexandra Hotel, The Parade, Tel. 702241, Fax. 705554, sales@miltonhotels.com 97 rooms. Large established hotel right in the centre of town, with restaurant. Late Rooms Availability for Alexandra Hotel in Fort William
Glenloy Lodge Hotel, about 6 miles from town on the B8004 north from Banavie, Tel./Fax. 712700. 9 rooms. Open mid-Dec to late Oct. Friendly and comfortable little hotel tucked away in a quiet, secluded location, and with a good restaurant.
Highland Hotel, Union Rd, Tel. 702291, Fax. 700133. Traditional Highland hotel overlooking the town, with great views across Loch Linnhe. Good restaurant, comfortable; cheaper off-season.
Bank Street Lodge, Bank Street. Very central 2 star hotel, good value. Late Rooms Availability for Bank Street Lodge in Fort William
A small, charming hotel in Fort William is the Ashburn House Late Rooms Availability for Ashburn House in Fort William
Waterfront Lodge is a small 2 star hotel not surprisingly on the waterfront. Late Rooms Availability for Waterfront Lodge in Fort William
The Onich Hotel and Gardens is at Onich, about 8 miles south of Fort William, overlooking Loch Linnhe. Late Rooms Availability for Onich Hotel and Gardens in Onich
South of Fort William at Ballachulish there's the Ballachulish Hotel - Late Rooms Availability for Ballachulish Hotel in Ballachulish
Also in Ballachulish on the shores of the loch is the family-friendly Isles of Glencoe Late Rooms Availability for Isles of Glencoe Hotel and Leisure Centre in Ballachulish
A few miles west of Fort William at Glenfinnan is the Prince's House Hotel where Bonnie Prince Charlie was believed to have stayed. Late Rooms Availability for Prince's House Hotel in Glenfinnan
Guesthouses
Glenlochy Guesthouse, Nevis Bridge, North Rd, Tel. 702909, is recommended.
Distillery House, across the road from the Glenlochy Guesthouse (opposite the road into Glen Nevis), Tel. 700103, Fax. 702980. 6 rooms. Comfortable, upmarket guesthouse. Achintore Rd, which runs south along the loch, is packed with B&Bs and hotels, many of which are large and characterless. More appealing than most is Lawriestone Guesthouse, Tel./Fax. 700777. Running parallel is Grange Rd, which is lined with B&B accommodation. Two of the best are Crolinnhe, Tel. 702709, open Mar-Nov; and The Grange, Tel. 705516, open Mar-Nov.
There are also plenty of B&Bs which are closer to the bus and train stations, mostly on and around Fassifern Rd and Alma Rd. These include Guisachan House, Tel./Fax. 703797; and E Mrs Heger, 'Finnisaig', Tel. 702453, both on Alma Rd; and D 6 Caberfeidh, Fassifern Rd, Tel. 703756.
There are several more places to stay in Glen Nevis, including Achintee Farm Guesthouse, Tel. 702240, mcy@btinternet.com, by the start of the path to Ben Nevis.
Hostels
There are also cheaper options, in the shape of several hostels and a couple of campsites. The popular Fort William Backpackers is on Alma Rd, 500 yds from the train station, Tel. 700711. 3 miles out of town in Glen Nevis, near the start of the path up Ben Nevis, is the large SYHA Youth Hostel, Tel. 702336, which gets very busy in summer. A better bet is the independent Ben Nevis Bunkhouse, at Achintee Farm, across the river from the visitor centre (see above). Calluna, Tel. 700451, Fax. 700489, www.guide.u.net.com, is at Heathercroft, about a 15-min walk from the tourist office (see map). It's run by experienced mountain guide, Alan Kimber.
There are 2 hostels in Corpach. The Smiddy Bunkhouse, Tel. 772467, bunks@ bunksville.com, is next to Corpach train station, with the Snowgoose Mountain Centre attached. Scottish International Backpackers is at Farr Cottage Activity Centre, Tel. 772315, Fax. 772247, www.fort-william.co.uk\ farrcottage, which also organizes hill walking trips and rents out mountain bikes. Two miles up the Glen Nevis Rd is Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping Park, Tel. 702191, open mid-Mar to late Oct, which has excellent facilities. Five miles from town on the road to Mallaig, is Linnhe Caravan & Chalet Park, Tel. 772376, open Christmas to late Oct, also with full facilities.