Fort William in Scotland was dubbed among the country’s worst spots to visit last year by Which?. The consumer magazine gave it a score of just 58%, with many calling it ugly. However, it is said to be making a comeback.
The town has also struggled with transport issues and housing shortages. Delays in renovating Belford Hospital – plans that have been suggested since the ‘90s – have even pushed locals to protest against Government neglect.
But it appears to be turning a corner; business owners are saying the town is undergoing a “revival” with a buzz in the air.
Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe, en Nevis, Aonach Mor and Glenfinnan in the nearby area.
It is a hub for walkers, climbers and mountain bikers and a popular base for breaks in the Highlands.
The past decade has seen an increase in new, independent shops and restaurants opening, including the Highland Soap Company, which has a turnover of £6.8 million and employs 80 people. The old police station has been transformed into a four-star accommodation Garrison Hotel, where visitors can spend the night in a cell.
Another major player is Lib Dem MP Inverness, Skye and West Ross, Angus MacDonald. He opened Highland Bookshop in 2017 and Highland Cinema in 2020, which went on to be named the UK’s best independent film house.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Mr MacDonald said: “What matters most to me is the people and economy of the Highlands, and how can we make this area thrive.
“I read an article in Vanity Fair a few years ago, which said the best way to bring the heart back into your town is an independent cinema and an independent bookshop.
“The bookshop has been a phenomenal success. And there is no doubt that the cinema will be one of the greatest things I have done in my life.”
“It’s somewhere you can take your mother; it’s somewhere you can boast to visitors about,” he said. “I really wanted it to be much more than a cinema and to become the centre of the community to pull people in.”
Ian Peter, the chairman of the West Highland Museum who recently set up the Glen Spean Farmers Market, said there is “definitely a new enthusiasm” about the town.
“I think in previous years there’s been more a just ‘let things be’ attitude. But at the moment, there’s a real energy. Fort William is going through a revival.”
The town has a rich history, with links to the Jacobites through the Old Fort William and the Inverlochy Castle ruin. It also sits on the edge of the Great Glen, which can be explored by ferry, and near the head of one of Scotland’s longest sea lochs, Loch Linnhe.
In the nearby area are Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made world-famous by Harry Potter, and Glencoe National Nature Reserve. Walking trails from the town take visitors to each of them.
