Best Places to Visit Near Fort William
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Fort William are Corpach Shipwreck, Lower Falls, Glen Nevis, Steall Waterfall, Pap of Glencoe, Eas Chia-Aig Waterfall, Coe River Waterfall, Beinn a' Bheithir and Glen Etive.
Fort William sits at the foot of Ben Nevis where Loch Linnhe reaches inland, a Highland town that calls itself the outdoor capital of the UK. Head out in any direction and mountains, glens and falling water are waiting.
Just along the canal at Corpach lies the rusting hull of a grounded fishing boat, with the great bulk of Ben Nevis behind it. South-east up Glen Nevis you reach the roadside pools of the Lower Falls and, higher still, the soaring drop of Steall Waterfall.
Toward Glen Coe stands the shapely cone of the Pap of Glencoe, while north by Loch Arkaig the Cia-aig Falls tumble through woodland. Around Ballachulish the Coe River spills down beside the road and the horseshoe ridges of Beinn a' Bheithir rise above the loch.
Further south, past the head of Glen Coe, single-track Glen Etive runs down to the sea with its cold swimming pools. From shipwreck to Munro, the choice is wide.
Here are eight places to visit near Fort William.
Corpach Shipwreck
Photo: Alan Bowring via Geograph.org.uk
Corpach Shipwreck The Corpach shipwreck is the rusting hull of a fishing boat, the MV Dayspring, lying tilted on a tidal beach just outside Fort William. It broke its mooring in a storm in 2011 and has sat grounded on the shingle ever since, slowly corroding in the salt air.
A short walk along the canal towpath from Corpach brings you out to it. On a clear day the great mass of Ben Nevis rises behind the wreck, and it is that pairing of decaying boat and towering mountain that draws so many photographers to the shore.
It sits close to town, an easy outing.
Lower Falls, Glen Nevis
Photo: John MacKenzie via Geograph.org.uk
Lower Falls, Glen Nevis The Lower Falls are a set of cascades and pools on the River Nevis by the glen road at Polldubh, a few miles up Glen Nevis from Fort William. You can see them from the roadside near the bridge, and a path along the bank leads to further views and boulder-strewn pools above and below.
A small car park and laybys serve the spot, and a seasonal bus stops nearby. Think of them as the easily reached lower counterpart to taller Steall Falls higher up the glen, a fine place to pause on the drive into the mountains without a long walk.
Steall Waterfall
Photo: Tom Courtney via Geograph.org.uk
Steall Waterfall Steall Waterfall, in Gaelic An Steall Ban, the white spout, is a tall single-drop fall in Glen Nevis and one of the highest in Scotland at around a hundred and twenty metres. The water plunges down a cliff into a green meadow ringed by mountains.
It is reached on a walk of about a mile from the upper Glen Nevis car park, through a dramatic rocky gorge with the river tumbling below. To cross to the foot of the falls you use a three-wire bridge, a single cable to walk along with two more for the hands, a wobbly crossing that many admire from the bank instead.
Pap of Glencoe
Photo: Andrew Tryon via Geograph.org.uk
Pap of Glencoe The Pap of Glencoe is a distinctive conical peak rising above Loch Leven at the western end of the Aonach Eagach ridge, at the mouth of Glen Coe. Its Gaelic name, Sgorr na Ciche, means the peak of the breast, from its rounded shape, and it forms the classic view as you come into the glen.
At 742 metres it is a popular half-day climb, usually from near Glencoe village, with a rockier scramble over the final stretch to a summit looking out over the loch, the glen and the Mamores. In winter it becomes a serious outing.
Allow a short drive south to reach the start.
Eas Chia-Aig Waterfall
Photo: Steven Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Eas Chia-Aig Waterfall Eas Chia-aig, or the Cia-aig Falls, drops in two tiers through woodland near the shore of Loch Arkaig in Lochaber, beside the old road known as the Dark Mile. The water spills into a deep, dark pool long called the Witch's Cauldron.
Forest trails and a picnic area run alongside the falls, with a path climbing to the higher cascade. The double fall appeared in the film Rob Roy, and it makes a good half-day out north of Fort William, a scenic drive to a quiet, wooded corner.
Bring a picnic and take your time along the water.
Coe River Waterfall
Photo: Peter Bond via Geograph.org.uk
Coe River Waterfall This waterfall drops beside the road through Glen Coe, below the ridge of the Three Sisters. The water comes off the steep mountainside in a white cascade and runs down to join the River Coe on the floor of the glen.
It is one of the most photographed spots on the drive through Glen Coe, easily seen from a pull-in on the A82, with bare, steep mountain walls rising all around. It sits a short drive south of Fort William, an effortless stop to stretch your legs and take in the scenery on the way through this celebrated Highland pass.
Beinn a' Bheithir
Photo: Phillip Williams via Geograph.org.uk
Beinn a' Bheithir Beinn a' Bheithir is a great horseshoe of ridges rising steeply above Ballachulish and the shores of Loch Leven. Two Munro summits crown it, Sgorr Dhearg at just over a thousand metres and Sgorr Dhonuill a little lower, linked by a high, narrow ridge curving above a deep corrie.
Forestry wraps the lower slopes, but higher up the walking is on open grass and rock, with long views over the loch, the Mamores and the hills of Glen Coe. The full round is a long, hard day with scrambling near the tops, its name read as the peak of the thunderbolt or of a monstrous beast.
Glen Etive
Photo: Alan Reid via Geograph.org.uk
Glen Etive Glen Etive runs south-west off the head of Glen Coe, a single-track road following the River Etive down to the sea at Loch Etive. The river holds clear, cold pools that draw wild swimmers through the summer, set among steep mountains.
The glen became well known as a filming spot for the James Bond film Skyfall, whose lonely road scene was shot here. It is a quiet, dead-end glen ringed by high peaks, and being a fair drive south it makes a rewarding day-trip from Fort William, out beyond Glencoe into some of the emptiest country in the Highlands.
FAQs
What is the Corpach shipwreck?
The Corpach shipwreck is the MV Dayspring, a fishing boat that broke its mooring in a 2011 storm and now lies grounded on a tidal beach near Fort William, with Ben Nevis rising behind it.
How high is Steall Waterfall?
Steall Waterfall in Glen Nevis drops around a hundred and twenty metres in a single fall, ranking among the highest in Scotland, and is reached on a mile-long walk from the upper Glen Nevis car park.
Can you go wild swimming near Fort William?
Yes. Glen Etive, south beyond Glen Coe, holds clear, cold river pools popular with wild swimmers in summer, and the Cia-aig Falls by Loch Arkaig feed the deep pool known as the Witch's Cauldron.
Conclusion
Few towns pack as much variety into their surroundings as Fort William, sitting where the mountains meet the sea lochs of Lochaber. Along the canal at Corpach a stranded boat frames Ben Nevis, while up Glen Nevis the roadside Lower Falls give way to the great plunge of Steall higher in the glen.
South toward Glen Coe you can climb the shapely Pap of Glencoe, pause at the Coe River cascade or take on the Munros of Beinn a' Bheithir, and north by Loch Arkaig the Cia-aig Falls tumble past the Witch's Cauldron. Further out, Glen Etive rewards a day-trip with its cold swimming pools.
Waterfall or wreck, viewpoint or wild summit, these are the places to visit near Fort William.
