Having spent a night in Falkirk and then driving from Falkirk to Fort William and stopping at a bunch of places along the way, we spent three nights in Fort William.
A couple of the main reasons we wanted to stay there was because we had an opportunity to stay in a castle, plus lots of notable Harry Potter movie locations were filmed there. There’s so much more to Fort William though, so we had a jam-packed time trying to see as much as we could.
Here’s everything we got up to during our three days in Fort William.
Inverlochy Castle Hotel
We stayed all three nights at Inverlochy Castle Hotel, a property that’s part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and which can be booked via Hilton. That meant we were able to redeem Hilton free night certificates for our stay, while our Diamond status meant that we got free breakfast each morning.
It’s a beautiful hotel and we received fantastic service throughout our stay. Shae and I ended up returning for a couple of nights a couple of weeks later as we were able to get tickets to ride on the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back again.
You can read our full review of Inverlochy Castle Hotel here.
Jacobite Steam Train
Speaking of the Jacobite steam train, as mentioned above this is something we returned to Fort William for a couple of weeks later, rather than doing it during the three nights we spent there with our friends (we weren’t able to get tickets for those dates).
The Jacobite steam train is what was used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies which was one of the reasons we were so keen on getting to ride it. The train passes over the Glenfinnan Viaduct which is also featured in the movies, plus you get to spend a couple of hours in the cute town of Mallaig.
We wrote a separate post about our fun experience riding the Jacobite steam train, so you can read that here.
Glenfinnan Viaduct
Although we weren’t able to get tickets to ride the train while our friends were traveling with us, all four of us did get to visit Glenfinnan Viaduct together and watch the Jacobite steam train riding over it.
From early April to late October, the steam train runs in the morning, passing over the viaduct at ~10:40am on the outbound journey to Mallaig and ~3:10pm on the inbound journey. From early May to late September, they also run an afternoon service; that passes over the viaduct at ~1:30pm for the outbound journey and ~6:10pm for the inbound journey.
We visited with our friends at the end of April and arrived in the afternoon with plenty of time to catch the 3:10pm crossing. Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, it’s fun getting to watch a steam train, not to mention the beautiful views of the area from the viewpoints.
This is another activity we wrote about in even greater detail, so check out this post to learn more about watching the Jacobite steam train pass over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Other Harry Potter Movie Sites
Including Glenfinnan Viaduct, we visited half a dozen sites that were used in Harry Potter movies. That includes the site of Hagrid’s Hut, Dumbledore’s grave and more. See this post for more details about all those locations and how to find them.
Nevis Range Mountain Gondola
If you’re not a fan of Harry Potter, don’t worry – there’s so much more to Fort William! Just outside of the town is Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in the UK. You can hike up it, but that’s an all-day affair and conditions can change extremely quickly.
Rather than hiking up the mountain, we took the easy option and paid to go up the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola.
The journey doesn’t go to the top of the mountain; instead, it takes you from 100m (328 feet) to 650m (2,133 feet) and cost £27.50 (~$37) per adult. There was some kind of mountain bike event going on the day we visited, so there were lots of bikers riding up on the gondola with their bikes, then racing back down the mountain, so it was fun getting to watch them in action.
Once you’ve disembarked from the gondola, there are several walking and hiking trails branching off. We had a particular trail in mind, so we headed off to the left. At the end of the trail we could see Loch Lochy in the distance when the clouds allowed.
The reason we’d picked that trail is because we were on a little treasure hunt. One of Shae’s former students had visited Scotland a few days before we arrived, staying in most of the same places that we’d be staying in too.
Before we arrived in Fort William, she let us know that they’d left a little gift for Shae on Ben Nevis. Her sister is an artist and had created a small dragon for her, so they left that at the base of a rock on that trail at the top of the gondola. They sent us a photo of the rock, but that trail isn’t short on similar-looking rocks!
Despite the challenge, we managed to find the dragon which Shae named Gondola in honor of how we got up there.
Glenfinnan Monument
After visiting the Glenfinnan Viaduct, we walked across the road to Loch Shiel – one of the many Harry Potter filming locations. On the shore of the loch is the Glenfinnan Monument, a statue that honors the Highlanders who fought in a Jacobite rising in 1745.
You can pay £5 (~$6.75) to climb the steps inside to the top of the monument, but we just decided to look at it from the outside.
Saint Mary & Saint Finnan Church
Just up the road from the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Monument – and on the way to the filming site of Dumbledore’s Grave – is Saint Mary & Saint Finnan Church. The church was built from 1870-1872 and is in a beautiful location on Loch Shiel.
Ben Nevis Bar
For dinner that night we went into downtown Fort William to find somewhere to eat. We stopped in at a couple of places but they were packed, so we continued on our hunt.
We ended up settling on Ben Nevis Bar, a bar dating back to 1806. It seemed like we arrived at just the right time because even though this pub/restaurant was packed too, a table for four had just opened up by the window facing Loch Eil.
Shae and Megan shared a bottle of prosecco, while I had an Eighty Shilling brown ale by The Hanging Tree brewery which was very good.
For dinner, Shae ordered the West Coast Mussels which featured fresh local Isle of Mull mussels in a cream, white wine, leek, fennel, onion and garlic sauce. It was a massive serving and she thought they were delicious.
I’d really enjoyed my steak and ale pie at The Oban Inn the day before, so I decided to get another pie. This time though I picked the chicken and pulled ham pie; that was very good too, although I did enjoy the previous day’s steak and ale pie a little more as I prefer puff pastry with these kinds of pies.
We received great service there too, so we’d happily eat at Ben Nevis Bar again.
Old Inverlochy Castle
The Inverlochy Castle Hotel that we stayed at is, in effect, new Inverlochy Castle. The original Inverlochy Castle was built in the late 1200s but is now in ruins. We stopped by there to visit but there was fencing and scaffolding up, so we weren’t able to get too close to it.
Drive To/Through Glen Coe
When driving to Fort William, many people will take the route that goes through Glen Coe – an incredibly scenic area that feels like quintessential Scottish Highlands. We’d taken a different route as we wanted to stop off in Oban, so on our second full day in Fort William we headed south and then east through Glen Coe, stopping at quite a few sites along the way (more about that in a moment).
It was fairly wet that day, with low-lying clouds and rain falling on and off. At the time, it had felt a little disappointing that we didn’t have clear skies for it. In hindsight though, that was a good thing.
The reason why is that when Shae and I drove back through Glen Coe on our way back down to England from Fort William, it was a beautiful day. It was a long drive that day, so we didn’t want to stop other than to use the rest room and to have lunch. We passed by all the sites we’d stopped at a fortnight beforehand and all the parking areas were packed. The beautiful weather had – understandably – resulted in a lot of people wanting to drive through and get photos. It would’ve been much more stressful driving around, trying to find a parking spot, having to leave due to no spaces and returning later to try and find a spot in each location, so I was glad we’d not had to contend with that courtesy of the rain.
Another benefit of visiting when it’s rainy is that you’ll likely see random waterfalls cascading down mountainsides that simply aren’t there when the weather’s nice. With the road flanked by mountains with low clouds and narrow waterfalls pouring down, it was strongly reminiscent of our drive to Stewart in British Columbia, Canada. That was an incredibly scenic drive which is why we enjoyed our drive through Glen Coe so much.
There’s also something to be said about driving through Glen Coe when it’s moody out.
Anyway, here’s where we stopped at in Glen Coe.
Coe River Waterfall
The main road running through Glen Coe is the A82. Just north of it is a one lane side road with spots for vehicles to pass. We’d driven along there as that’s where you can stop to see the site of Hagrid’s Hut. Just past there and Clachaig Inn (more about that later), we spotted the Coe River Waterfall. Despite how narrow the road is, there was an area to pull off and park. We therefore stopped quickly to take a quick photo of the waterfall with its pretty backdrop.
Three Sisters Viewpoint
Our next stop was Three Sisters Viewpoint. The Three Sisters are called Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh and are steep mountain ridges you can see in the photo below.
Glencoe Waterfall
The most torrential downpour of the day occurred when, ironically enough, we stopped to look at water. That’s because we wanted to check out Glencoe Waterfall which is next to The Meeting of Three Waters – a site where three different rivers meet up.
Glencoe Viewpoint
After that we stopped at Glencoe Viewpoint, although the low-lying clouds meant we couldn’t quite see the mountain peak.
Glen Etive
Next up was Glen Etive, a picturesque spot along River Etive.
Wee White House Glencoe
One of the iconic images of Glen Coe is the Wee White House Glencoe. As the name suggests, it’s a small white house which sits alone among the barren landscape, but which is apparently accommodation you can stay at.
Site Of Hagrid’s Hut & Rannoch Moor Viewpoint
We shared more about both the site of Hagrid’s Hut and Rannoch Moor Viewpoint in our post about Harry Potter filming locations, so be sure to check that out. However, I wanted to highlight them here too seeing as they’re along the drive through Glen Coe.
Stone Walls
Some of my favorite things about the British countryside are all the stone walls, particularly in the north of England and Scotland. This particular stone wall was just outside of the Clachaig Inn.
Clachaig Inn
Speaking of the Clachaig Inn, the four of us stopped in there for dinner.
In addition to offering lodging, the inn has three different bars – The Boots Bar, The Snug and The Bidean Lounge. You can get something to eat and drink in all of them and they all have the same food menu, so it doesn’t really matter which one you pick from that perspective. They do have different decor and vibes though; we wanted something cozy, so we picked The Snug.
Alas, it didn’t turn out to be particularly snug when we visited. We were a little chilly and damp from all the rain, but it seemed like they had one of their back doors open which resulted in it being a little drafty inside. We ended up trying to sit at three different tables to be out of the breeze, but couldn’t seem to quite avoid it.
Drinks-wise, I ordered what I think was some kind of stout (I didn’t make a note of what it was). Seeing as it was my birthday trip, Shae offered to drive the rest of the day and so I also got a shot of Victoriana – a single malt whisky from Glen Scotia Distillery which was described as having hints of seaweed, briny, light peat and cereal. That might not sound like an appetizing mixture, but it was pretty good.
For dinner, Shae ordered the Aberdeen Angus Beef Burger which featured a burger made with Scottish beef and sun-dried tomatoes. It was served on a pretzel bun with Lockerbie cheddar, Scottish tomato chutney and salad with a side of fries and topped with an onion ring.
I was interested in something a little more hearty, so I ordered their Highland Game Casserole. This contained rabbit, venison, pheasant, mallard, partridge and pigeon, cooked with blackberries, tarragon, juniper berries and Clachaig gin. It was then served with a large herby dumpling in the middle with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.
The casserole was very rich, tasty and hearty – indeed, the perfect choice for that damp afternoon. It’s also the first time I’ve ever eaten something that had the following warning on the menu:
Wild meat may contain shot, chew carefully.
Ben Nevis Distillery
After checking out of Inverlochy Castle Hotel the next day, we drove on to the Isle of Skye where we’d spend the next three days. Along the way though, we stopped at a couple of other attractions.
The first was Ben Nevis Distillery, just a few minutes drive down the road from the hotel. It was founded in 1825 but is now owned by a Japanese company called Nikka Whisky Distilling. That was actually a little surprising because it felt like every other distillery in Scotland is now owned by the British conglomerate Diageo.
We arrived just in time to join a tour that was due to start a few minutes later. A Standard tour costs £16 per person and includes a tour and two whisky tastings, while a Classic tour costs £25 and includes a tour and four whisky tastings. The tour is exactly the same, so the only difference is how many of their different whiskies you want to try at the end.
Neither Shae nor Megan are huge fans of whisky so they just did a Standard tour, while Mark and I both did the Classic tour. One of the nice things about the tour is that you can get Driver Drams; these are small bottles with the whisky tastings in them so that you can try them later if you’re the one driving.
Our tour guide was Conor who was great. Shae and I have been on several whiskey distillery tours before, but despite knowing the general process, Conor still made the tour nice and interesting.
The distillery uses barley that’s grown in Aberdeen which is on the opposite side of Scotland. The reason for that is that Fort William is too wet to be able to grow it. Ben Nevis Distillery makes smoky whiskies for only three weeks of the year, with the rest of the production time spent making non-smoky whiskies.
The distillery uses both wooden and stainless steel tuns. The wooden ones are 19 years old and were shipped over from Oregon; they should last about 30 years overall. The stainless steel tuns meanwhile are 50 years old.
Needless to say, the best part of the experience was the whisky tasting at the end.
There were five different whiskies that we could choose from. Seeing as Mark and I had both picked the Classic tour, we could choose four of the five; the one I left out was the Glencoe blended malt Scotch whisky.
The Nevis Dew (blue label) was a blended Scotch whisky that was nice and smooth. The Coire Leis had been finished in bourbon barrels for eight years; that was my favorite which wasn’t surprising seeing as I enjoy bourbon so much.
My third whisky was the 10 year Ben Nevis which was also very nice, while I finished off with the traditional peated whisky. I’m not always the biggest fan of peated whisky, but this was surprisingly good.
Another nice touch with the tour is that you get to take a tasting glass home with you.
Eilean Donan Castle
Another reason Shae had been interested in visiting Fort William is because Eilean Donan Castle had appeared in one of the books she’d read. Despite not having that connection with it myself, I would recommend stopping by there, despite it being about 1.5 hours away to the north of Fort William. If you’ll be visiting the Isle of Skye though, it’s along that route and so you can stop there along the way.
There’s been a castle on the site for ~800 years, although its current incarnation is more recent. That’s because the long-standing castle there was destroyed in 1719, a few years after a Jacobite rising. The castle lay in ruins for about 200 years before being rebuilt just after the end of World War I.
It’s worth taking a self-guided tour of the castle, but unfortunately you’re not allowed to take photos inside.
Someone at the site gave us a tip to make the short drive up to Eilean Donan Lookout. That’s up on a hill overlooking the castle and gives fantastic views of both the building and the loch in the background.
Saga 2025 Trip To London, Liverpool & Scotland – All The Posts
Here are links to all of the posts in this series:
- Saga 2025: Trip With Friends To London, Liverpool & Scotland – An Intro
- Saga 2025 Day 1: London – Police Station Hotel, British Museum, Dinner In Darkness & Abbey Road
- Saga 2025 Day 2: Liverpool – Cavern Club, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Cocktails & More
- Visiting The Kelpies In Falkirk, Scotland By Day & By Night
- Saga 2025 Day 3: Falkirk – Kelpies, World’s Only Rotating Boat Lift & More
- Saga 2025 Day 4: Drive From Falkirk To Fort William – Castles, Distillery, Monument & More
- Hotel Review: Inverlochy Castle Hotel In Fort William, Scotland
- How To Watch The Jacobite Steam Train On Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Train)
- How To Find 6 Harry Potter Filming Locations Near Fort William, Scotland
- Jacobite Steam Train Review: What It’s Like Riding The Hogwarts Express
- Saga 2025 Days 5-7: Fort William – Harry Potter, Castles, Waterfalls, Mountains, Distillery & More
- Review of The Two Byres – Vacation Home On The Isle Of Skye, Scotland (Booked Via Cottages.com With Wyndham Points)
- Talisker Cask Draw & Tasting Experience – Fun, Tasty & Strong!
- The Three Chimneys Restaurant Review (Isle Of Skye, Scotland)
- Saga 2025 Days 8-9: Isle Of Skye – Whisky, Fairies, Castles, Waterfalls, Views & More
- A Tearoom Where You Can Feed Highland Cows? Yes Please!
- Saga 2025 Day 10: Skye To Inverness – Coos, Castles, Nessie, Another Whisky Experience & More
- Saga 2025 Day 11: Inverness To Aberdeen – Standing Stones, Pyramid, Castle & More
- Saga 2025 Day 12: Aberdeen – Time Travel, Castles, Coos & More
[…] Saga 2025 Days 5-7: Fort William – Harry Potter, Castles, Waterfalls, Mountains, Distillery & … […]