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Fort William is the largest town in the west highlands of Scotland.
Originally based around the still-extant village of Inverlochy, the town
lies at the southern end of the Great Glen, on the shores of Loch Linnhe and
Loch Eil. It is close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British
Isles, and Glen Nevis. Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. It is an important centre for hill walking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and other mountains. It is also well known for its nearby famous Downhill Mountain Bike Track and its connection to the Great Glen Way; a cycle way from Inverness to Fort William through the Great Glen. The West Highland Line passes through Fort William. Owing to the difficult terrain in the area, the line from Glasgow, to the south, enters from the northeast and trains from Glasgow to Mallaig, the terminus of the line, have to reverse at Fort William railway station. The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William.
Each year since 2002, Fort
William has hosted a round of UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, and in 2007 it
hosted the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships ('The Worlds').
Also a trials competition is held, at the various courses at the bottom. The
four-cross track is used and the Witches trails get used for the
cross-country competition. The 2007 winner of 'The Worlds', in the downhill
men's section was Sam Hill, with a time of Four minutes and Fifty-one
seconds. |
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