Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The grassy ramparts and stone walls of the Old Fort by Loch Linnhe, Fort William and the hills beyond.
Fort William

The Old Fort

What remains of the fort that gave Fort William its name: grassy ramparts and a sally port by Loch Linnhe, and the start of the Great Glen Way.

Welcome

Almost invisible to passing traffic, on the shore of Loch Linnhe, by the roundabout at the northern end of the town, are the remains of the fort that gave Fort William its name.

Cromwell's troops built a wooden citadel here in 1654. In 1690 William the Third approved a far stronger fortress, and stone walls up to 20 feet high replaced the timber. It was from here, in 1692, that two companies of soldiers set out to carry out the Glencoe Massacre, and in 1746 the fort held out against a Jacobite siege from 14 March to 3 April.

The railway arrived in 1894 and swept most of the fort away, but grassy ramparts, part of the western walls and the original sally port survive. The panelling from the governor's room is in the West Highland Museum in town. The Great Glen Way begins here too.

Round the cornerThe Great Glen WayA 79-mile way from Fort William to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, walked in stages.1 min by roadSee itTall pines and mossy ground in a misty forest along the Great Glen.
Before you go

Open ground by the loch, at any hour.

Where
The shore of Loch Linnhe, Fort William.
Built
1654, rebuilt in stone from 1690.
Besieged
March to April 1746.
Where it is

On the shore of Loch Linnhe by the roundabout at the northern end of the Fort William bypass, PH33 6AN.

Close byFort William.
  1. Jacobite Steam TrainJacobite Steam TrainA steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back, 84 miles over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, in summer.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Walkers pause on a wooden bridge with twisted branch railings amid fernsThe Great Glen Way by Thistle TrekkingThe Great Glen Way is a 79 mile trek which begins in Fort William and finishes in Inverness.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. The Clan Cameron Museum, a long white cottage with a slate roof beside a lawn and gravel drive, its sign on the grass.Clan Cameron MuseumThe Camerons' museum at Achnacarry.16 miles26 min by road
  4. Loch shore framed by trees, with hills rising beyond the waterGreat Glen Way Viewpoint, Loch LochyThe Great Glen Way above Loch Lochy.17 miles25 min by road
  5. Glencoe Visitor CentreGlencoe Visitor CentreGlencoe, to the south.18 miles29 min by road
Directions
Fort William High Street after rain, shops lining the pedestrian street.AttractionsFort William0.2 miles
Green tent pitched by the shore of a loch flanked by hillsAttractionsNorth West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking0.2 miles
Bare trees reflected in a still river beside a stone-lined bankWalksEast Highland Way with Thistle Trekking0.2 miles
Tall pines and mossy ground in a misty forest along the Great Glen.AttractionsThe Great Glen Way0.2 miles
The copper stills in the still house at Ben Nevis Distillery, a group of visitors among them.ToursBen Nevis Distillery0.2 miles
The front of the Wildcat on Fort William's High Street, its window full of the café.CafeThe Wildcat0.4 miles
Corner building on a cobbled street housing The Highland BookshopShoppingHighland Bookshop0.5 miles
The Lime Tree's stone house with blue windows behind its garden and a great tree, Fort William.RestaurantsLime Tree Hotel0.6 miles
Passengers aboard a blue tour boat crossing a calm loch below green hillsRestaurantsCrannog at Garrison West0.7 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the fort, and when each is next free.

Woodlands Glencoe
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Ballachulish
  • 10 miles from the Old Fort
Check datesA white harled house with a slated roof sits behind a clipped hedge along a gravel drive, hills rising behind autumn trees.Glenhurich Lodge
  • Sleeps 11
  • In Fort William
  • 20 miles from the Old Fort
Check datesStormhouse South, Argyll and ButeStormhouse South
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Fort William
  • 20 miles from the Old Fort
Free 31 Jan – 5 FebStormhouse North, Argyll and ButeStormhouse North
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Fort William
  • 20 miles from the Old Fort
Free 1–6 FebPlaces to stayEvery stay in Fort WilliamAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

Every photograph commissioned, every word written by somebody who went. Printed twice a year, made in Scotland.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go.