It’s the first time I’ve bashed up rather than down a red mountain bike route, but then today is a day of surprises. Ahead is a paddle to discover the most romantic ruined castle in the Great Glen. Followed by a visit to a game-changing cinema with a vintage Lotus in the screening room in Fort William. Next comes a thrilling RIB ride where we race Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express along Loch Eil. Welcome to the Outdoor Capital of Scotland where no two days, nevermind no two visits, are the same.
Bashing around mountain biking
First up is that mountain bike adventure at the massive and massively impressive Nevis Range complex on the mountain slopes. I’ve been here a number of times and love the mountain bike routes and the high wire course, not to mention the mountain gondola and mountain restaurant.
This time I’m trying e-bikes. These are no ordinary e-bikes, but top of the range Trek machines that anyone can hire. They are brilliant at making every ascent a breeze, but also perform superbly on the descents. They make working all the way to the top of the World Cup and World Championship runs easy. That is handy as a new blue route is currently being finished off that will snake over 10km down the mountain in an engaging sweep of berms and forest single track. I was lucky to be able to ride a section of it and it really is top class.
Big plans afoot at the Nevis Range
There are more new moves afoot at the Nevis Range as Chris O’Brien, CEO of the Nevis Range explains: “We’ve got so much going on, it’s such an exciting time after a busy end to the summer. We’re working on a £2.3m development that will include 20 hotel rooms, carefully curated shops and public spaces. And then there is the new blue run and the our Zip line.”
Canoeing with the Great Glen clans
Delving deeper east into the Great Glen I hook up with Active Highs, active adventure socialists who offer everything form kayaking, through to canyoning and gorge walking. Guide Conner is just what I need, kitting me out and discussing what works best for our trip.
We agree on a plan to eke down Loch Oich in search of Invergarry. We feel like a rival clan working away down this deep glacial glen in search of the mighty castle. Vaulting Highland peaks taller than skyscrapers dwarf us on either flank as the waters shimmer back. Undeterred we push on and secure our canoes on a wee beach. Then there it is poking through the trees, a mighty bolthole where once Clan MacDonell held sway over their patch of the Great Glen. We attacked with iPhones before beating a retreat back up the loch.
A brilliant new Highland cinema
It’s into the lochside town of Fort William next, which nestles beneath the hulk of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles. The exciting new development here is the Highland Cinema. The mercurial local entrepreneurial owner behind it, Angus MacDonald, explains to me that this gorgeously designed building right in the centre is styled on a traditional bothy with stone walls and a red metal roof. It’s the poshest bothy I’ve ever seen!
Inside the Highland Cinema are two plush screening rooms – one featuring that classic Lotus car- as well as genuine Neapolitan pizza oven in a spacious café that also comes with a cosy wood burning stove and floor to ceiling glass windows. It’s an impressive new cultural hub for Fort William that will screen classic Scottish films and more contemporary local creations alongside Hollywood movies and even live music.
Racing Harry Potter to the finish
Last up on my action packed day in the Outdoor Capital of the UK is an adrenaline pumping RIB ride with Fort William Sea Tours. We zoom out of Fort William in search of dolphins and porpoises in Loch Linnhe. Not content with a thrilling wildlife boat ride we snake around into Loch Eil to await the arrival of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express, or, as she is officially known, the Jacobite.
As Ben Nevis glowers high above against a starlit sky we go full throttle as the Jacobite approaches. As she whistles in recognition and her plume of steam rose into the heavens we rush to join her side, then spend the next few minutes thrillingly riding alongside her. It is a fitting end to a day in a corner of Scotland that offers something new at every turn; a fitting end to a day in the Outdoor Capital of Scotland.
Further Information
For more info on Fort William and surrounding Lochaber see the Outdoor Capital website.
Where to sleep
I stayed at the Whispering Pine Lodge on the shores of Loch Lochy, a 20 minute drive to the east. It has a lovely lochside location and a great Scottish-Indian fusion restaurant plus a spa.
Where to eat
The Lime Tree is a welcoming, bright restaurant just back from the lochside. They do a mean Cullen Skink and a heaving array of delicious Highland goodies in their meat and cheese platter.
