Quick facts

An Gearastan - The Garrison

An Gearastan is actually a shortened form of An Gearastan Inbhir Lòchaidh, which translates as The Garrison of Inverlochy. Fort William was originally named Inverlochy, but when the fort was enlarged in the 19th century it adopted the name of Fort William.

Population - The population of Fort William is around 10,000. 7.26% of the population speak Gaelic.

Weather - Many Highlanders associate Fort William with rain and the average rainfall is 76.2 inches per year - almost triple the average rainfall in Inverness.

Local Clans - The following clans were dominant in Fort William and the Lochaber region:

Clan Cameron
Clan MacDonald
Clan MacIntosh

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Did you know?

Lochaber scenery featured in the Hollywood blockbusters, Highlander, Local Hero and Braveheart. Fort William has an aluminium smelter that produces 40,000 tonnes of aluminium a year. It also provides the local economy with sustainable employment.

Kinlochleven was the first village in Scotland to be provided with electricity as a result of the hydro-generating station at the Kinlochleven smelter plant.

The honorary Chieftain of the Fort William Highland games is Jimmy Saville.

The earliest recorded timed run up and down Ben Nevis was that by William Swan of Fort William on August 2nd 1895. He took a remarkable 2 hours, 41 minutes.

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Local heroes

Father Alan MacDonald (1859-1905):

Father Allan MacDonald was born in 1859 in Fort William, where his parents owned the Ben Nevis Inn. Father MacDonald or Maighstir Ailein was a Gaelic poet, priest and folklorist. He resided in Eriskay in 1894 where he taught himself Gaelic and where he built St. Michael’s Chapel in 1903. His collection of poems, Eilein na h-Òige, has been published but his priceless collection of folklore lies largely unpublished in the library of Edinburgh University.

Charles Kennedy:

Although Charles Kennedy was born in Inverness he was educated at Lochaber High School and his father lives in the Lochaber area to this day. In 1983, Charles Kennedy was the youngest sitting Member of Parliament. He is still the Liberal Democrat MP for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency. In 1999 he was elected leader of the party and at the 2005 election the Liberal Democrats gained 62 seats, their biggest number since 1923. Charles Kennedy has since stepped down as the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Duncan Shearer:

Duncan Shearer was born in Fort William in 1962 and had an illustrious career as a Scottish Premier League footballer. He started his career at Highland league club Clachnacuddin from there he moved to Chelsea in 1983. In 1992 he signed for Aberdeen where he made the biggest impression. He scored 53 goals in 116 appearances for the Dons. He also has seven Scottish caps and two national goals to his name. Nowadays he manages Highland League club, Buckie Thistle.

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Well known landmarks

Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis, or “The Ben” as it’s fondly referred to is THE most well-known landmark in Lochaber. Standing at 4,406ft above seawater, it is the highest mountain in the UK and sits at the head of Loch Linnhe.

Beinn Nibheis is thought to mean poisonous or terrible which implies a formidable character. Whilst it is not as high as Alpine Mountains, the climate on the Ben can be considered similar to arctic conditions. This is due to the mountain lying on a more northerly latitude. All can be calm on the shores of Loch Linnhe whilst a 20 or 30-knot wind will be howling at the summit of Ben Nevis. Many climbers and walkers have experienced four seasons in one day whilst climbing Ben Nevis!

Old Inverlochy Castle

Old Inverlochy Castle shouldn’t be confused with the 5 Star hotel at Torlundy which is also named Inverlochy Castle! Old Inverlochy Castle is situated on the banks of the river Lochy about two miles from the town centre. The castle was built in 1280 and has been at the heart of conflict in the area over the centuries.

It was here on the 2nd of February 1645 that a bloody battle took place between the Royalist forces of Montrose and the Marquis of Argyll and an army of Highland clansmen. Over 1500 of Argyll’s army were killed and the river Lochy is said to have turned red with their blood.

The castle also offers brilliant views of Ben Nevis.

Neptune’s Staircase

Neptune’s Staircase was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1822; it forms part of the Caledonian Canal. Neptune’s Staircase at Banavie elevates vessels 64 feet above sea level through 8 locks. The Great Glen Cycle route also runs parallel to the canal so why not get on your bike and enjoy the views of Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries.

Glenfinnan

The village of Glenfinnan is 17 miles west of Fort William and was the setting for the meeting of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Clan Chief Locheil and his Cameron clansmen. The Jacobite Standard was raised and the second Jacobite Rebellion began. An impressive monument has been built to commemorate the event.

The striking viaduct at Glenfinnan carries the railway over the glen and past the monument and has impressed both railway enthusiasts and film producers alike! The Hogwarts Express flies along this viaduct in the first ‘Harry Potter’ feature film, and the West Highland Line also features in subsequent films in the series.

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Sports

Shinty is probably the most popular sport in Lochaber with the Fort William team and the Kilmallie team both residing in the region. In 2005 the local rivals competed in the Camanachd cup final.

Outdoor sports are also huge in Fort William. The rugged countryside is ideal for climbing, walking, skiing, snow-boarding, mountain biking, kayaking and any other outdoor pursuits you care to mention!

In September 2007 the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will be held in the town.

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Best time to visit

Fort William is good to visit at any time as it is both busy in the summer months and in the winter with winter sports enthusiasts. The Fort William Mountain Film Festival, which has been running since 2002 takes place in February. In October 2007, the Gaelic cultural festival, the Royal National Mòd, will be held in the town.

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Local specialities

Tipples and Specialities

Venison - The Great Glen is famous for its deer population, therefore venison is a local delicacy.

Loch nan Uamh Mussels - Mussels or feusgan can be found on most shores on the West coast and Loch nan Uamh mussels feature on many a menu in the Lochaber area.

Smoking! - There are two high-quality smokehouses in the Lochaber area, Moidart Smokehouse and MacDonald’s Smoked Produce in Glen Uig. These smokehouses sell everything from venison and salmon to kangaroo and ostrich!

Ben Nevis Distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. It has been producing the Ben Nevis whisky since it was established in 1825. The various whiskies produced have won many awards from the Monde Selection.

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What's on: February

ANATOMY’S ACTS EXHIBITION

20/01/07 - 17/02/07 – Swanson Gallery, Thurso

ESSENTIAL SCOTTISH OPERA TOUR

01/02/07 – Glenmorristion Millenium Hall, Invermorriston

ESSENTIAL SCOTTISH OPERA TOUR

03/02/07 – Victoria Hall, Cromarty

WOLFSTONE ALBUM LAUNCH

09/02/07 – The Ironworks, Inverness

DAN ARBORISE

09/02/07 - The Beaufort Hotel, Inverness

CRAIG HILL

10/02/07 - Crown Court Hotel, Inverness

HIGHLAND GUILD OF WEAVERS, SPINNERS AND DYERS WORKSHOP

10/02/07 – 11/02/07 - The Beauly Centre, Beauly

THE SWEDISH JAZZ KINGS

12/02/07 - Inverness Town House

THE UNSINKABLE CLERK

16/02/07 - The Spectrum Theatre, Inverness

FORT WILLIAM MOUTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

16/02/07 - 03/03/07 - Fort William

ST KILDA– ISLANDS ON THE EDGE - 5000 YEARS OF LIFE ON THE EDGE

20/02/07 – Inverness

NAZARTH

23/02/07 - Ironworks, Inverness

TUNE UP: BELLOWS AND BOWS

23/02/07 - Strathpeffer

INVERNESS FIDDLERS RALLY

24/02/07 - Inverness Royal Academy

TUNE UP: BELLOWS AND BOWS

24/02/07 - Stornoway

More information about Highland 2007 events for January can be found at www.highland2007.com

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Learn more

Have you now got the taste for Gaelic? Here are a few alternative learning resources to continue the Gaelic journey.

Full-time Learning

Cùrsa Comais – Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
The Cùrsa Comais or Immersion Course is a full-time residential course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland’s Gaelic college. It is aimed at those wishing to obtain fluency in the language.
Contact: 01471 888 000
Email: trusadh@smo.uhi.ac.uk
Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Part-time Learning

Short Courses – Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
The Gaelic college on Skye also offers weekly residential course for beginners and intermediate beginners. A full timetable of courses usually runs at Easter time and also throughout the summer months.
Contact: 01471 888 000
Email: cg@smo.uhi.ac.uk
Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Short Courses – Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle
The Gaelic centre on Islay also offers a short course programme. These courses are for all levels of learners.
Contact: 01496 810 818
Web: http://www.ile.ac.uk/

Distance Learning

Cursa Inntrigidh - Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
The Cursa Inntrigidh is a distance-learning course based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. The course is about gaining the confidence to use your Gaelic practically, with priority given to speaking and listening skills. It takes advantage of new technology to reach those people who are too far away or whose schedule makes it impractical to attend existing courses. Workbooks and accompanying CDs allow students to work at any time of day or night that suits and weekly conversation classes through teleconferencing offer the opportunity to chat to tutors and practice with others on the course. Weekend schools held at the College offer the opportunity to consolidate and put into practice what has been learned, as well as the chance to get to know students and tutors in a convivial Gaelic atmosphere.
Contact:01471 888 000
Email: sm00cin@groupwise.uhi.ac.uk
Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Learn Gaelic at BBC Alba
The BBC offers an array of online learning tools for the Gaelic beginner. They have their "Beag air Bheag" online course, the animated series "Colin and Cumberland" and they also have an online version of “Litir Bheag” from Rèidio nan Gàidheal.
Web: www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba

learndirect scotland
learndirect scotland have over 500 learning centres throughout Scotland. These centres give you an opportunity to learn Gaelic either online or through community classes. learndirect scotland have a full and up to date calendar of course. For more information go to their website or give them a call.
Contact:0808 100 9000
Web: http://www.learndirectscotland.com

Community Learning

Community Classes
Gaelic classes are available for all levels of ability in Lochaber. There are classes run in Fort William, Mallaig, Strontian, Spean Bridge and Glenfinnan. There are classes for both beginners and intermediate learners.
Contact Flora McKee - 01397 706 044
Email: fios@lochabergaelic.org

Lochaber College
Lochaber College run Gaelic evening classes usually held on a weekly basis for 8 weeks. These courses can be accessed through a video link from surrounding areas: Mallaig, Kinlochleven, Sunart and Kilchoan. There are classes for beginners and intermediate learners
Contact: 01397 874 000
Email: lochaber.college@uhi.ac.uk
Web: http://www.lochabercollege.co.uk/

Alternative Learning in Lochaber

Cearcall Còmhraidh
A conversation circle takes place twice this month for those living in, or visiting, the Glenfinnan area. There is a conversation circle on the 9th February in Glenfinnan House Hotel between 8pm and 9pm. It will also take place on Saturday 24th between 2pmand 4pm. This is an opportunity to use the Gaelic you've learned in a relaxed setting.
Contact:Eileen O' Rua eileenorua@btinternet.com

Genealogy
Lochaber College run Genealogy evening classes. These workshops are made up of four evenings and they look at the resources available toconduct family research and how to organise that research.
Contact:01397 874 000
Email: lochabercollege@uhi.ac.uk
Web: www.lochabercollege.co.uk

Useful Gaelic Organisations

Clì Gàidhlig
Clì Gàidhlig is an organisation dedicated to the learning and promotion of the Gaelic language. Clì offer a variety of courses from one-day courses to weekly classes all around Scotland. These include Gaelic Awareness courses, conversation classes and Gaelic grammar courses. Clì Gàidhlig also run a website www.learn-gaelic.info that has information on local night classes and community groups.
Address: Clì Gàidhlig, 3 Union Street, Inverness, IV1 1PP
Phone: +44 (0)1463 226 710
Email: cli@cli.org.uk

Comunn na Gàidhlig
Comunn na Gàidhlig is a Gaelic Development organisation. CnaG are involved with many community projects around the country. They can offer funding to community projects and for the promotion of the Gaelic language.
Address: CnaG, 5 Mitchells Lane, Inverness, IV2 3HQ
Phone: 01463 234138
Email: oifis@cnag.org.uk
Web: www.cnag.org.uk

Comann na Sgoiltean Àraich
CNSA offer several different ways to learn Gaelic from “Gaelic San Dachaidh” (Gaelic in the Home) courses to Full-Time Total Immersion courses. They also run Mother and Toddler groups as well as manage Cròileagan groups (for toddlers) throughout Scotland.
Address: 53 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1DR
Phone: +44 (0) 1463 225469
Email: Derek@cnsa.org.uk
Web: www.gaelicworld.co.uk

Comann Nam Pàrant
Comann nam Pàrant, meaning “Parents’ Organisation”, represents the interests of Gaelic-speaking parents or parents of children who are in Gaelic-Medium Education. There is currently a network of around 30 local groups.
Web: www.parant.org.uk

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