Glen Nevis
Near Fort William
View Larger MapPossibly the most beautiful glen in Scotland, Glen Nevis carves a narrow valley between Ben Nevis and the less well known, but more interesting Mamore Forest range of mountains. Running south east from Fort William, there is a public road running for the first few miles along the lower, flatter part of the Glen. Then, as the road gives way to a track, the glen climbs more steeply. The section of road that I visited is shown in the map below.
To the north-east of the Glen is Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, reaching a lofty 4,400 feet, lofty, that is, by British standards. The main path up the Ben runs from Achintee Farm, situated at the Fort William end of the Glen. It is a long trudge, but I am told the views are worth the effort if you pick a clear day. Not this week then! I climbed this way back in 1996 and saw nothing but the inside of a cloud.
To the south side of Glen Nevis lies the Mamore Forest range of mountains, ranging between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. Keen hill walkers tackle several of these peaks in a day. Others will be satisfied with one or two. At Achriabhach, there is a large car park which forms a good base for exploring the western end of this range.
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis01sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis02sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis03sml.jpg)
However, we start this collection with three pictures taken at the north end of Glen Nevis, near Achintee Farm, the well-known base for climbing Ben Nevis. Here the road is of a good standard - reasonably flat and straight..
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis04sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis05sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis06sml.jpg)
As we continue through the Glen, the road begins to undulate and turn, the surface following the contours of the valley, which is still broad and wooded at this point.
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis07sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis08sml.jpg)
![Glen Nevis](pic/nevis09sml.jpg)
The first of these three photos was taken in the car park at Achriabhach, with a foothill of the Mamores in the background. The second picture is a view looking north up the main road from the car park entrance, and the final view looks across the bridge where the road narrows to a track.