Day Out for the child in all of us!!

The start of the Great Glen, Neptunes Staircase, Fairy wood and the Commando Memorial

Half Day Trip or a Full day with Picnic and Walks

This is a pleasant and easy half day drive, not far away from us, with walks and picnic opportunities, showing some of the best views of Ben Nevis in the distance from the banks of the Caledonian canal.
You can marvel at the work of Thomas Telford and William Jessop (www.scottishcanals.co.uk) along this route you follow the canal to Loch Lochy.

Take the A82 into Fort William travel through the town and take the A830 in the direction of Mallaig, drive just over a mile across the swing bridge over the canal, and take the next right on the B8004, signed to Neptunes Stair Case, Banavie. On you right, in a short way, is the car park for Neptunes Stair Case, a set of locks taking boats up into the higher reach of the canal, the views here are stunning, back across to Ben Nevis, Anoch Mor and beyond.

Re trace your steps and leave the car park turning right onto the B8004, this single track road offers spectacular views over the mountains beyond, travel 6 miles to the Gairloch turn off, keeping left straight onto B8005 to Achnacary, where their is the Clan Cameron Museum.



If you are want to go on a short walk into the enchanting FAIRY WOOD, a must for children of all ages, KIDS LOVE THIS, you travel about a mile after the junction, LOOKING out for a bridge across a burn which has a WOODEN DECK. When you cross this park immediately on the right or left,(there are off road parking places. Go through the large high wooden gate on the right of the road, and walk down the path, towards the loch side.
LOOK OUT for a pile of peebles and some bird feathers arranged on the ground at the end of a path on your right, walking still towards the loch, turn onto this path. You will come to a larger path crossing, yours go across this and slightly to your right, IF you really want to you WILL have found the entrance to the secret wood, known mainly to local people only and full of SURPRISES.

The wood was laid out by a local lady to cheer up children, the wood is a good place to take a picnic by the shore of the LOCH LOCHY

From here time permitting you can either carry on up the valley and see EAS CAIG-AIG waterfall, made famous as a location in the film Rob Roy, and is a dead end and you come back the same way, carry onto the side of LOCH ARKAIG

The way back is to retrace you steps back to the road junction at GAIRLOCHY turn left B8004 back over the bridge single track swing bridge at GAIRLOCHY in the direction of SPEAN BRIDGE, the lock side area is good to watch the boats on the canal and there are some picnic tables here.
Carry on the road towards Spean Bridge and the COMMANDO MEMORIAL, which is at the junction of the A82, turn right here back through Spean Bridge Back to Fort William


There are fantastic views over the mountains on this drive don't forget the camera its one of the best ways to see BEN NEVIS as you are far enough away to see the whole mountain range.