Staying in Fort William. Is it any good or will I freeze and be bored senseless?

[SparklyfestiveYellowFeathers]

Dh wants to go snowboarding and I wouldn't mind a few blasts down the slopes.
However we will have dd (3) and ds who is 12 weeks atm.
We were thinking of coming mid January.
So firstly, are we likely to get snow if we come then and secondly, when I'm not boarding will there be plenty to do? I.e. the town etc.

Also can anyone recommend some good hotels or B&b's.

Thank you.

You need miaou - she used to live very near Fort William. I think it is is a nice place to visit, lots of touristy shops and a few places to eat out. There is soft play for your DD at the nevis centre and the steam train ride to mallaig is suposed to be lovely. We have only really been there for days out though so not sure if there is much else around that is good for kids? Sorry if I am not much help! Snow is probably quite likely at that time of year I would have thought.

Thats great Schneebly, thanks

I just need some reassurance that I wont be stranded if dh gets carried away up a mountain.

Sparkly, around FW is lovely, but the shopping is absolute rubbish. However, there's a fantastic Hot Roll company in the shopping centre, which makes the best rolls in the world. Right beside that, there's a great restaurant whose name escapes me, but it's opposite a building that's just burnt down (I'm painting a pretty picture here, amn't I?) You can bring your own bottle, and Victoria Wines is just a couple of shops down, so very handy. There's good walks for the kids, and it's good fun to go up in the cable car. Your dh will get snow, but there might not be snow around the town. I would say there's not loads to do with kids, but it's no worse than many small towns. If you've got the car during the day, you will be able to get around a bit more and see some stuff with the kids. (I don't live in the Fort, but have family there so visit quite a bit)

You called?

I think mateychops and schneebly paint a good picture. I can't think of the name of the cafe you mention mateychops, but it's on the pedestrianised high street - opposite the remains of McTavish's Kitchens (which is now a level site )

The soft play place is now a nursery - you can still take the children there but they have playleaders who look after them - you don't go in with them. It's very reasonably priced and the staff are lovely, and you could have a cuppa in the cafe in the same building and relax and read a mag or whatever ... or even book them in for a day and go snowboarding! (But ring first and check) but you can't play in there with them. My ds is 15m and I can't leave him in there as he gets too upset.

And yes, the shops are rubbish!! I'm trying to think of other things to do in the area with a 3 year old and a 12 month old but am struggling ...

If I can afford the petrol I could come up to FW and we could have a meet up!! (I'm about 45 miles away)

It rains a lot too so long bracing walks may not be much fun.

Ooo meet up
I'm not so bothered about shopping. Its always nice to shop but dd doesn't really approve
Even if I can just take dd out to play in the snow for a few minutes or a park. Rather than being sat in a hotel room.

Message withdrawn

I wouldn't be so certain about the snow- skiing in scotland is becoming a rarer phenomenon! However you can take your chances!

For dd to play in the snow you would need to go up the gondola on Aanoch Mor (which is where your dh would be going to snowboard I guess). The gondola ride itself is great fun, there is a nice, fairly level walk up there (though I don't think it's suitable for a buggy), a good restaurant, a shop, and an outdoor play area (can't remember if it's suitable for as young as three, but I think it is).

There's a nice walk by the canal up at Caol too (a couple of miles out of FW).

If you can get/afford a SC cottage rather than hotel room, it will give you more options re hiding from the weather/napping etc.

Thanks.
Yes we would be driving up there. We'd probably rent a different car though, to fit all our bits in.
I never thought of looking at Cottages. It could be a better solution.

Cottage is ideal when holidaying with little ones, means once they go to bed you can relax drink watch dvds etc, rather than perching on the end of a hotel bed or trying to sneak down to the hotel bar and hoping they don't wake.

You can still eat out every night or I like to do some really nice meals myself. Breakfast can be nice and relaxed in your PJs.

Some self catering here you will get bargain prices in January.