Fort William

[Ineedthesunshine]

Hi, I am thinking of taking the overnight sleeper on a short break up to Fort William. We'll be without a car probably so would you stay in Fort William or push on to another town? Thinking of going at least one day out to Mallaig and doing a wildlife trip but coming back that night.

Any tips would be really appreciated - especially if you know of any self catering places.

I would push on to Arisaig because it's so, so beautiful and I'm not a big fan of Fort William.

Having said that, I've not spent a lot of time in FW - just really as a stop off when passing through further West/North, and it's certainly a much bigger place if the weather's not great.

As Sleepyhead says, push on to Arisaig / Morar and then on to Mallaig. FW is pretty ugly.

sleepyhead I have just foolishly googled midges and I see that August is their favoured hunting time. Is this true?

The train journey on from FW to Mallaig is simply stunning. But yes, August can be the very midgey. Hope for sun/breeze!

Given your timescale I would say yes to Arisaig. It really is beautiful. Fort William is a busy town but I have spent a lot of time there. We camp at corpach and it's a good base days out to Mallaig and Ardnarmurchan. I'm quite fond of Fort Willy.

Well, yes. June, July, August.

They don't like breeze or bright sunlight, but on still, cloudy, damp days, or still evenings they are a nightmare. Repellents will mostly keep them at bay.

To be honest, it's a feature of the West Highlands unfortunately. I've had many fantastic summers in the area though and it's still very much worth it - just be prepared.

You could go on to Knoydart from Mallaig.

Thanks everyone. I don't know what to do! I have had a look for self catering in Arisaig/Mallaig etc but unsurprisingly there is nothing.

Would it be best to leave it until October half term because of midges - are they really that much of a plague. A friend I spoke to this morning said it ruined her holiday to Scotland last year. This is supposed to be a special treat for my husband and it would be a shame if we had to stay indoors covered in Deet LOL.

You'd certainly find it easier (maybe, things book up fast in the school holidays) to get accommodation in October. It is a bit late for the summer now. The weather can still be lovely then, and of course there's never a guarantee of lying-on-a-beach conditions in Scotland at any time of year .

Personally I think, unless you're camping in a wood/long grass, allergic to midge bites, and are woefully unprepared, midges wouldn't ruin a short break - if you were slathered in DEET you wouldn't have to stay indoors! If you're on the coast there tends to be a breeze which keeps them away.

Thanks sleepyhead any recommendations for hotels in FW for night number one? Then I think we'll move to the coast.