The Best Munros Near Fort William

If you could pick just one town in Scotland to base a Munro-bagging trip, Fort William would be the obvious choice. The self-styled "Outdoor Capital of the UK" sits amid the greatest concentration of high mountains in the country — including the highest of them all — with dozens of Munros within an hour's drive. Here are the best of them.

On the doorstep: Ben Nevis and the Aonachs

• Ben Nevis (1,345m). Britain's highest mountain rises straight above the town. Most climb it by the Mountain Track; experienced walkers take the magnificent CMD Arête. Either way it's the obvious first objective. See how to climb Ben Nevis.
• Aonach Mòr and Aonach Beag. The high pair behind Ben Nevis — big, serious mountains, with the Nevis Range gondola offering a high start onto Aonach Mòr.

The Mamores and the Grey Corries

• The Mamores. A magnificent range of ten Munros just south of the Nevis massif, above Glen Nevis and Kinlochleven — home to the classic Ring of Steall horseshoe and endless ridge-linking possibilities. See Munro bagging in the Mamores.
• The Grey Corries and around. A superb quartzite ridge east of Ben Nevis, plus the remote Munros around Loch Treig and beyond — big, wild days for fit walkers. See Munro bagging in the Grey Corries and Aonachs.

Glen Coe and beyond

Half an hour south, Glen Coe opens one of the most dramatic mountain landscapes in Britain — Bidean nam Bian, Buachaille Etive Mòr, and the serious Aonach Eagach ridge. To the west lie the remote Munros of Ardgour and Knoydart; to the east, the hills around Loch Ossian and the Ben Alder group. See Munro bagging in Glen Coe and around Ben Nevis.

Using Fort William as a base

Fort William's appeal is variety within a short drive: the biggest mountains in Britain, classic scrambles, long ridge rounds, and remote wild country, all from one town with plenty of accommodation, shops and a railway station. It's ideally suited to a multi-day trip — pick a different range each day and you could bag for a fortnight without repeating yourself. A car helps reach the more remote glens, though Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis are accessible from the town itself. For the other great Highland base, see the best Munros near Inverness.

Related guides

• How to climb Ben Nevis
• Munro bagging in the Mamores
• Munro bagging in Glen Coe and around Ben Nevis
• Munros tracking app — offline maps and routes for every hill around Fort William