On the way to Scotland we spent a few days with friends in The Lakes at Ambleside. This was partly to break up the journey, to catch up with some gossip and do some walking, including a lovely hike around Lake Grasmere.

Walking around the beautiful Lake Grasmere in the Lake District

After some 570 miles and a few rapid charges at service stations, we arrived in Fort William, the first port of call of our month-long road trip around Scotland. We had booked a series of self-catering properties along the route, which meant much simpler charging – plugging into a 3-pin wall socket overnight added about 100 miles of range. Although it helped if we could park next to a window!

Charging our electric car from a convenient 3-pin wall socket!

Fort William is located in western Highlands, on the shores of Loch Linnhe. It’s known as the gateway to Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, and at 4,413 ft. dominates the backdrop to the town.

View from the beach at Loch Eil of Fort William and the stunning backdrop of Ben Nevis. In the foreground is the ‘Old Boat of Caol’ shipwreck, which sits proudly on the stony beach.

We only had two full days in Fort William, so we wanted to get to see as much as possible. An early start on the first day saw us exploring the Corpach Sea-Lock and Neptune’s Staircase.

The 60-mile long Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William. It reaches 162 feet above sea level and only one third is man-made, the rest being formed by a series of lochs, including Loch Lochy and Loch Ness. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford.

Corpach Sea Lock lies at the western end of the Caledonian Canal, at the foot of Ben Nevis. At this point, the canal runs into Loch Eil, Loch Linnhe and the Irish Sea.

The two locks of the Corpach Sea-Lock

After a short walk along the canal we reached Neptune’s Staircase. Raising the canal 62ft over a quarter of a mile, Neptune’s Staircase has 8 locks and is the longest staircase lock in Britain.

Walking the Caledonian Canal

Sea going yacht navigates the locks of Neptune’s Staircase

We then drove north out of Fort William to the Nevis Range Mountain Resort, which is reached by the only gondola system in Scotland. Located on the 4,000 ft. Aonach Mor, the closest mountain to Ben Nevis, it offers summer activities such as walking trails and a series of mountain bike tracks. The gondola station is located at a height of 2,133 ft. and offers panoramic views of Fort William, Loch Linnhe, Loch Eil and Loch Lochy.

We tried out a couple of the shorter walking trails and admired the lunacy of the young people speeding down the mountain on their bikes.

The town of Fort William on the banks of Loch Linnhe with Loch Eil beyond hidden under the early morning mist

Charlotte enjoying the view of the 10-mile long Loch Lochy (an original name!)

Oh to be young and fearless!

In the afternoon we visited the Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct.

The Glenfinnan Monument was erected in 1815, in tribute to the Jacobite clansmen who fought and died in the cause of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. It is located at the northern end of Loch Shiel.

Glenfinnan Monument at the top of Loch Shiel

Offering a spectacular backdrop the Glenfinnan Monument is a 21 arch, 1,000 ft. span viaduct that curves through the country side, 100 ft. above the ground. It carries normal rail services as well as the Jacobite steam train, which runs twice a day from Fort William to Mallaig. The viaduct and steam train were made famous by the Harry Potter films as the ‘Hogwarts Express’.

The Glenfinnan Viaduct carrying the Jacobite Steam Train

To finish our exhausting first day we drove out to the coast and took a walk along the Traigh Beaches near Arisaig. These beaches epitomise the ideal West Coast of Scotland beach with sheltered bays, expanses of silvery sand, a backdrop of coastal grassy machair and great views to The Small Isles beyond.

Traigh Beaches near Arisaig

Day two in Fort William consisted of a more relaxing drive along a well-known stretch of the beautiful Glencoe Valley. Here are some pictures from that day, which again was blessed with fine weather:

Early morning on Loch Leven

The beautiful steep-sided Glencoe Valley

Loch Etive – This beautiful isolated Loch can only be accessed via a one-way round trip on a 13-mile long single track road, which was used in the filming of the ending to the James Bond movie SkyFall.

Loch Ba

Kilchurn Castle, Dalmally, was built in the mid-1400s by Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Lord of Glenorchy. It is located at the head of Loch Awe.

Today we are leaving Fort William for the drive to the Isle of Skye.

Read Part 2 >