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Outdoor Activities and Outdoor Providers

Fort William and many other areas of Lochaber provide an amazing range and diversity of outdoor activities including watersports, mountain activities and leisurely outdoor trips

Not much point in calling Fort William and Lochaber - the Outdoor Capital of the UK if there was not an established local industry of businesses providing a range of outdoor activities and experiences for you. So if you want to hike, climb, run, sail, ski, snowboard, cycle, bike, canyon, raft, try quad biking or archery or paint-balling or whatever, you've come to the right place.

We have boat trip providers with Loch Shiel Cruises at Glenfinnan and Souter's Lass on Loch Linnhe with slow leisurely cruises for sight-seeing and spotting local wildlife, or others with fast rigid inflatable rib boats - for an adrenalin rush on the sea; there are people who will take you out on a field trip for photography sessions, or natural history or outdoor skills courses.

Fort William and Lochaber is the undisputed Outdoor Capital for outdoor sports and activities in the UK - that's a fact! There is nowhere else in the British Isles where you can do almost everything from dive in the sea to fly in the air - with all watersports, country sports, cycling and mountain biking activities and of course mountain sports in between.
Come for a relaxing cruise on the Caledonian Canal, ride your bikes in our forest tracks, or what about a game of golf on all four Lochaber golf courses... the Fort William area boasts the widest choices of activities for everyone interested in a holiday in this unspoilt, natural, rural area where hills and glens, rivers and lochs, the sea coastline all offer something to do while enjoying the peace and tranquility. Visit Nevis Range, Fort William's outdoor centre for mountain biking, hill walking and winter snowsports.

Local activity providers offer a great range of activities for families, couples, corporate events and stag & hen weekends. How about white water rafting trips, canyoning, gorge walking, canoeing, kayaking and tons more. Or consider some bushcraft, natural history trips, outdoor craft activities, photography tours - all sorts of outdoor activities in and around Fort William.

The list of businesses below represents the broad range of activity providers in the Fort William and Lochaber area. If you are running an outdoor activity business, add your business today !
If you are looking for an activity - get on the phone or drop them a text - our Lochaber Business Directory customers are waiting to be of service.

Local Provider? Get yourself listed on the VisitFortWilliam website today
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Vertical Descents
Ranked as Fort William's No. 1 outdoor activity attraction on Tripadvisor in 2014, we work hard to make our activities the highlight of your holiday! Find us on the A82 between Glencoe and Fort William. We specialise in White Water Rafting and Canyoning, not to mention River Bugging, Via Ferrata and Fun Yakking, all in half day and full day packages.  WHITEWATER RAFTING  THE RIVER GARRY DAM RELEASED WHITE WATER ALL SUMMER £55pp  Our White Water Rafting will allow you to visit and experience some of Scotland’s wildest rivers. It will enable you to discover landscapes out of reach by normal means and is a must for lovers of adrenaline and teamwork. Vertical Descents operates WWR from easy class 2 rivers up to more technical and challenging class 5 rivers. Please click here for more info CANYONING Starts at £55pp group and family discounts available  Canyoning is jumping, abseiling down waterfalls and sliding down natural water flumes. Suitable for people with no prior experience or seasoned canyoneers alike we have a range of sessions available and trips can be tailored to suit. Canyoning is exhilarating, adventurous and fun and is a brilliant activity both on a sunny day, or as a fill-in on a rainy one to. VIA FERRATA £65 Discounted to £55 (2015 promo)  Built by Vertical Descents in 2013 we have a fantastic 400m awe inspiring journey up the side of one of Scotland largest waterfalls, Via Ferrata is made of metal staples glued up the cliff a safety cable follows the ladder.  This Guided tour takes around 2hrs,  and is situated in Kinlochleven Please click here for more info.  With 15 years of experience in the Outdoor Industry, we guide school groups, Scouts, families on holiday, the RAF, the Royal Marines, the Army, stag and hen dos, international tourists, adventure seekers and anyone else interested in an amazing experience. Our guides speak German, French and Danish.
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Kirkhope Mountain biking
Kirkhope Mountain Biking is a bespoke Mountain bike guiding and coaching company based in the Highlands of Scotland. We offer half or full day coaching courses and single or multi day guided trips through out Scotland and specialize in big adventurous days out in the many varying landscapes that Scotland has to offer. Popular trips include: • The Torridon loop • Cairngorm adventures • The devil's staircase and the Ciaran path Please get in touch via email at [email protected] to discuss what mountain bike adventure you would like next.
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Hunter Mountaineering
First Class, friendly Mountain Guiding & Instruction on British Walking, Climbing, Scrambling and Mountaineering. Summer and Winter Private Guiding and Courses. From Walking up Ben Nevis to Climbing in Glencoe. Based in Fort William. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer feedback (Find us on Trip Advisor). We offer Private Guiding and the Courses that follow - Private Guiding, all year round: Our most popular choice is a bespoke service. This is the solution if you want to 'tick' specific climbs or summits, or work on particular skills. Do you want to Climb Ben Nevis via the mountain track, Tower Ridge or Ledge Route? Do you want to become more independent as a mountaineer, or develop your trad or winter leading? Or do you want to complete a particular climb, e.g. Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge? Get in touch and we can start to make your plan happen. Summer Courses or ideas for Private Guiding could include - 1  Ben Nevis Walk 2  Munro Summits 3  Hill Walking, Navigation and Safety 4  Scrambling and Mountaineering 5  Rock Climbing 6  The CMD Ridge or Ledge route on the North Face 7  Tower Ridge, or other North Face Ridges 8  Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge or other Glencoe Classics Winter Courses or ideas for Private Gudiing could include - 1  Winter Skills and Safety 2  Walking the Winter Munros 3  Winter Mountaineering 4  Introduction to Winter Climbing 5  Winter Climbing Hunter Mountaineering is run by myself, Max Hunter. I hold the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award (the WMCI - the highest professional certification for Mountaineering & Climbing in Great Britain), and am a member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and the Mountain Training Association (MTA). I am also a qualified and experienced school teacher.
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Snowgoose Mountain Centre
The centre's position offers exceptional facilities for watersports enthusiasts of all levels. The Lochaber & Fort William area bounded by an extensive coastal & marine environment. Snowgoose Mountain Centre is surrounded by safe water with easy access to the sheltered tidal waters of Loch Linnhe and access to the open sea down the length of Loch Linnhe beyond Corran Narrows. SEA KAYAKING In the Lochaber area there is a truly amazing variety of inland lochs and coastline offering wide selection of sea kayak trips - offering everything from sheltered paddling journeys on placid lochs with lots of islands to discover, to open tidal water with fast tidal currents. Our beginner sea kayak sessions on Loch Linnhe are a gentle introduction to the effects of paddling on tidal waters. The inland lochs of Loch Lochy and Loch Sheil are also excellent locations for sea kayaking. A little further away protected by hundreds of small tidal islands (known as skerries) is the coastline surrounding Arisaig bay. An ideal spot to begin an adventure. This area is home to a huge variety of marine wildlife with a fair weather option to paddle up the coastline towards Mallaig with fantastic views out the Inner Hebrides. RIVER KAYAKING Our novice kayaking sessions, courses & holidays are initially based on the sheltered open inland waters of Loch Linnhe, Loch Lochy, or Loch Shiel                                With a more experience we can easily progress to the moving water of the rivers Lochy, Oich, and later to the amazing white water of the Roy, Spean, etc. Our favourite spot for beginners on moving water is on Loch Lochy in a wide sheltered open bay with visiting ospreys in the summer – along with small rapids tumbling down from Loch Arkaig a few miles above. Based on the short steep side of the country we have good local access to excellent Grade 111 and above white water rivers which are largely spate in nature, some of which are quite technical in nature. This gives excellent training opportunities for intermediate and advanced white water paddling in a unique environment. OPEN CANOEING. These basic skills sessions are based inland on the more sheltered  Loch Lochy or the tidal waters of Loch Linnhe with also excellent locations to learn the skills of open canoe journeying, for day paddles or with an over night wild camping stop.There are excellent opportunities for overnight expeditions for those with a little more experience - we regularly venture further a field to the tidal waters of Loch Moidart – paddle the Rough Bounds into Arisaig; Loch Sheil; Loch Oich and Loch Arkaig. All of this as well as guided open canoe trips over the 70 mile long Caledonian Canal on the Great Glen Canoe Trail – this being one of the favourites. The idyllic River Oich and Loch Lochy are excellent for an introduction to river paddling in an open canoe  learning  to raft up effectively, lining & poling as well as the opportunity to canoe sail on more advanced courses DINGHY SAILING We have a small fleet of 16' Devon Yawls & 21’ keeled Flying 15 dinghies which can take 4 students plus an instructor. These are all weather dinghies which are fun to sail but also fast and responsive for single handed sailing or a family day out.   There are several options available for Dinghy Sailing with our experienced Instructors from ½ day taster sessions for all the family to 2-3 day sailing & boat handling courses.By the end of a 2 day Beginners course you will have experienced handling the dinghy, sail handling, rope work, be aware of safety on board and  be able to sail as a crew in light winds under supervision. There will be hands on experience of:| The dinghy and its main parts; Basic boat handling – how to sail in all wind directions; Launching & recovery;  weather & meteorology. CANOE AND KAYAK HIRE & THE GREAT GLEN CANOE TRAIL Snowgoose Mountain Centre is well placed at the extreme SW end of the Caledonian Canal for the recently opened Great Glen Canoe Trail. This offers a great opportunity to canoe or kayak along the spectacular Caledonian Canal which runs for nearly 70 miles from near Fort William to Inverness along the very varied stretches of canal as well as the wide open waters of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness (which are classed as inland seas).We provideGuided canoe & sea kayak trips along the Great Glen Canoe Trail as well as 2 - 5 day expeditions in other fantastic remote and wild locations on the west coast of Scotland. We do not hire our boats to inexperienced paddlersFull open canoe, sea & river kayak hire / outfitting packages including paddles, buoyancy aids, barrels, BDH bottles, dry bags, trolley wheels, etc.  Full camping & expedition equipment hire - plus full information on the best campsites & local services.A full shuttle service for boats & gear to the end of the finish of the Canoe Trail and elsewhere - and free drop of to the top of Neptune's Staircase at Banavie to all our hire customers.  Locally based paddling information and advice when you arrive with us - based on over 30 years of local paddling experience.
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Rockhopper Sea Kayaking and canoe hire
Rockhopper Sea Kayaking is based near Fort William on the West Coast of Scotland. We offer half, full or multi-day kayak trips through some of the most spectacular coastal, mountain and island scenery in Scotland. This area is rich in wildlife and you may be lucky enough to encounter seals, dolphins, porpoise, otters, a huge variety of coastal birds or perhaps even the white tailed sea eagle. Whether new to the sport or an experienced sea kayaker, we will provide an unforgettable experience. Our Sea kayaks are long, stable and easy to control and we have large double kayaks available for youngsters or those who are a little apprehensive. All equipment is provided by us. Families, groups and individuals are all welcome. We also provide a canoe hire service and equipment.
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Abacus Mountain Guides
Abacus Mountain Guides provide world class mountain adventures on the west coast of Scotland. With the highest qualifications in Mountaineering and Mountain Biking, plus twenty years of experience, we deliver expert coaching and guiding in the mountains. Choose Your Adventure! Ben Nevis group walks and private guides. Summer and winter hillwalking. Bothy adventures to a number of nearby bothies. Mountain Bike skills coaching and guiding. Guided scrambles such as the CMD Arete and Aonach Eagach. Rock climbing on classic climbs such as Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis. Abacus Mountain Guides Activities May to September 2016 Every Wednesday - Ben Nevis Guided Walk - £70 Every Saturday - Ben Nevis Guided Walk - £70 This is your chance to join a group to reach the summit of the UK's highest hill. Individuals or groups are welcome to join us but advance booking is recommended. As well as leading the way your guide will look after you and show you the unique environment of the mountain, its geology and history. http://www.abacusmountainguides.com/ben-nevis.html Hill walking, scrambling, rock climbing and mountain biking are available for individuals or small groups on any day of the week by arrangement. Get in touch and let us know what you'd like to do. We specialise in providing exactly what you want. Creating the perfect trip for you based on the prevailing weather and conditions, your previous experience and aspirations, is our challenge and what gives us the most satisfaction. Instruction and guiding in hill walking, mountaineering, scrambling, rock climbing and Scottish winter climbing, and mountain biking. Be inspired by your private mountain guide in the best hills in Scotland, Ben Nevis, Glen Coe and Skye. Customer Testimonials "Booked with Abacus on a 3 day mountaineering course and from start to finish it was fantastic. Communication from Sally keeps you up to speed with the whole process of your booking and what's to come. Our guide Scott was excellent very easy going yet you felt completely in safe hands his knowledge and manner made learning simple and his explanations will remain with me.  The trip could not have been better and I cannot recommend Abacus enough. Top service from a top team." - Scott "Out with Mike Pescod for a few days winter climbing last week. What can i say i have been using Abacus for progressing my winter climbing skills for a few years now, and each and every outing is amazing. A true professional and a pleasure to climb with, local knowledge and enthusiasm from Mike is remarkable. Don't miss out!" - Mick "A great day out with fantastic weather, a really friendly, knowledgeable guide Rich. Cannot find fault, great service start to finish, will be back Thank you!" - Paul
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Wilderness Guides Canoeing
Wilderness Guides Canoeing offer guided canoe trips throughout the west coast of Scotland and the Highlands. Scotland boasts world-class canoeing locations offering amazing opportunities to explore highland lochs or get up close and personal to the wildlife on the coast. Canoeing offers a great way to see a different side of Scotland’s breath-taking scenery at a pace that suits you. A fun and easy activity, perfect for all ages and experience levels. Trips: Day trips run daily from June to October: £75 for adults / £40 for children Overnight camping trips are run regularly: £190 per person Canoe rental and equipment hire is also available for those who wish to spend a day or more on the water without a guide. Testimonials "Thank you for a wonderful day on Loch Garry. We had so much fun and the fantastic weather made it so much better....... I would encourage anyone who has children to book with you. In fact I would encourage any adult who has never canoed, or not canoed for years, to book with you." Natalie, June 2013
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Fort William Golf Club
Fort William Golf Club is located just north of Fort William by the A82. This course lies under the shadow of Ben Nevis and is a challenging course with great views. Our 9 hole golf course will provide you with a great golfing experience below the highest mountain in the British Isles. You have a good clubhouse with bar and facilities, including club and trolly hire. Visitors are especially welcome and often play a round of golf with our locals.
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Caledonian Discovery
Caledonian Discovery operate 2 large holiday barges, allowing you to explore the Great Glen while travelling along the Caledonian Canal including Loch Ness. Starting in either Fort William or Inverness, enjoy an unique holiday experience, amidst superb Highland scenery. Prices include all food and accommodation in twin ensuite cabins which have powerful hot showers. The resident cook uses the finest local ingredients to produce fantastic food. You can have a holiday of gentle relaxation or fun and adventure, it's up to you. Optional outdoor activities include walking, biking, sailing and canoeing or alternatively you can relax on board whilst we travel through the Great Glen. A qualified instructor is on hand to help. In addition, we have themed weeks when we offer wildlife, music and our very popular option of Walk the Great Glen week. Our 2020  and 2021 schedules are available for your consideration . Our 2020 cruises start from £975 and are also based on 2 people sharing a twin cabin, with ensuite facilities for a 7- day cruise. We also have a special early booking offer on our 2021 cruises. Save £70 per person on a 7 day cruise.  Save £35 per person on a 4 day cruise – This offer is only available until the 31st January 2021 Why not charter one of our barges? It is a wonderful way to discover this beautiful part of Scotland. If you reserve one of our comfortable barges, you decide exactly what you want to do from canoeing, walking, cycling, or a mixture of activities, on a 7-day journey through the Great Glen and you save money! Starting either in Inverness or Fort William, travel along the Caledonian canal and the lochs Ness, Oich and Laggan. It is an escape you will love. To find out more Click here  Remember to also have a look at our Offers which appear occasionally Visit www.caledonian-discovery.co.uk for more information. or alternatively email [email protected] or contact the friendly office team on 01397 772 167 Monday to Thursday 9:30 am to 4:30pm. 
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River to Sea Scotland
River to sea Scotland offers a great choice of guided paddling journeys, ideally suited to couples, families and groups. All trips are exclusive to you and your party (no mixed bookings) and are tailored according to your experience and wishes.   There’s a reason the West Coast of Scotland is one of the best paddling destinations in the world. We have beautiful white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and picturesque islands; all with an abundance of wildlife and set in a landscape of mountains and forests. Day Trips Our canoe trips range from calm exploration of the mountain fringed lochs and coast, to tackling white water rapids. With sea kayaks we can share the water with a variety of marine life including seals & porpoises. Or for thrill seekers, take on our ‘ultimate white-water experience’ with our inflatable river kayaks.  Expeditions Planning and executing an overnight paddle trip can feel daunting. In reality, if you book with us, there are only a few simple steps standing between you and a memorable journey through breath-taking scenery, which we can make as relaxing or as wild as you like. With morning coffee on island shores and evenings filled with campfires and stars, we guarantee if it’s your first paddle expedition, it won't be your last. We will work with you to plan the perfect exclusive itinerary and advise you every step of the way.  Canoe & Sea Kayak Hire For those that can already paddle, we have a fleet of canoes and sea kayaks available for hire, with all the associated kit. We can help you with your planning, so talk to us about your ideas and we will help you create an itinerary that meets your needs and desires. We want you to make the most of your hire time, so we will take care of the logistics for you. We will meet you at your start location with all your hired kit, and pick it up at the journey’s end, eager to hear your stories.  Make it an adventure, from River to Sea. Find out more & book here.
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Photography Courses & Field Trips
Learn to take better digital photographs on one of our photography courses. Digital photography is a fantastic, well-developed medium for capturing great photographs and video. Its never been easier to take good photos - with a little help and advice. I offer personal One-2-One photography courses, tuition and excursions in and around the Fort William and Ben Nevis area to anyone who wishes to learn more about their digital camera, and who wants to take better photographs. If your interest is in landscape photography or video; portrait photography or outdoor sports photography, I can help you get the best out of your camera. Each field trip can be tailored to suit individual needs. I can arrange 2-3 hour photography field trips for up to 3 persons. If you have a DSLR camera and a tripod, one of my short photography courses could be just for you. If you don't have a DSLR just yet, I can provide advice about these and offer you the chance to take photos with a Canon 5D and a variety of lenses and equipment. Photography Field Trip for 1 person: £85.00 Photography Field Trip for 2 persons: £150.00 Photography Field Trip for 3 persons: £195.00 During the photography field trip I will show you how to control camera aperture and shutter speeds; help you understand how to work with depth of field; understand working with different focal length lenses; show you how to improve photo composition; demonstrate how to tweak your photographs afterwards. I can provide Gift Vouchers if you would like to gift a Photography Field Trip for a friend or relative. If you would like to book B&B or self catering in a superb photo location, and at the same time as your field trip, I can provide this at our well established Woodside B&B Fort William. I can offer two ensuite bedrooms, a personalised breakfast of your choice and private, secluded parking - plus a view of Ben Nevis to die for...
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West Highland Workshops
We offer a range of all-inclusive hobby-based and creative leisure breaks in some of the most stunning locations on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Staying at top quality hotels, enjoy a few days indulging in your passion, hobby or artistic profession. Workshops are being added all the time, but include ceramics, photography, writing, machine embroidery, painting, batik, felting, stitching, bushcraft and more! Why not build a longer family or group holiday around one of our courses? All workshops are led by enthusiastic professionals with proven expertise in their field, who will lead you through their subject with skill, patience and fun! Class sizes are kept small, and most workshops are suitable for all levels of ability. Specific subjects or formats can be created for groups. Take inspiration from our beautiful landscape, and treat yourself to some quality creative "me-time"!
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