Fort William is one of Scotland’s top tourist towns with the UK’s largest mountain  Ben Nevis a major pull for its visitors.

It is the main route from Glasgow into the Highlands and its surrounding mountains ensure it is a visitor attraction all year with its mountain rescue team the busiest in Scotland 

Tourism, with a host of hotels, restaurants, guesthouses and pubs is the major employer but the town has a busy high street with a number of shops, a major supermarket and a growing out-of-town retail park. Its industrial estates host a number of businesses including website designers, computer game creators and printers. 

Its award winning Nevis Bakery’s delicacies are revered throughout Scotland, the Lochaber Rural Complex attracts a steady stream of visitors and the town also has the fast food chain McDonalds.

 
The secondary school, Lochaber High, has the biggest pupil roll in the Highlands and there are a number of primary school and nurseries throughout the area.

The public sector is well represented in the town with a significant Highland Council presence along with other government departmental bodies.

Lochaber has promoted itself as the Outdoor Capital of the UK and hosts a number of national and international events including trials and mountain bike events and a mountain film festival.

In the arts, the town recently hosted the Royal National Mod and Trad Music Awards