Fàilte Dhan Ghearasdan
Welcome to the Fort

The folk in this mural represent the generations of Fort William locals, past and present. Our town has been home to many legends over the centuries.

I love how nutty and eccentric my hometown is - we have a bit of a reputation in the Highlands...! I’ve tried to capture some of our unique spirit in the mural.

Everyone knows our tourist attractions; you’re maybe here today to see them yourself. I want to look beyond that and celebrate the ordinary folk, our stories and achievements that are often overlooked by visitors.

The symbols on our coat of arms are the Sessile Oak leaf and acorn and the Lochaber Axe, a type of halbard used in the Middle Ages.

Pockets of the ancient Atlatic oak wood can still be found in Lochaber, including the famous Skippnish Oak - somewhere secret near Achnacharry castle...

I have tried to include as many axes as I can in the mural: A significant hoard of bronze age axes were found near Carr’s Corner and can be seen in IMAC in Inverness, the iconic mountaineer Hamish MacInnes (1930 - 2020) developed the first all-metal ice axe from his workshop in Lochaber.

The numbers correspond to different categories of people, places and stories represented in the mural.

1. Lochaber punches above its weight in traditional music. Master fiddler, teacher and storyteller Aonghas Grant (1931–2026) passed on his knowledge to generations of world-class musicians, all now connected by the iconic red tassel hanging from their fiddles’ scrolls.
   
   
2. There are many stories of the daoine sìth, or fairie folk, around Fort William. The Bàn Mòr (Giant Women) of the Rough Bounds protected humans from harm, while the Cat Sìth ruled the forests of Nevis, commanding an army of wildcats and sometimes punishing mortals who messed with nature!
   
   
3. The Fort William area has been inhabited for 12,000 years. The first local “crofters” arrived during the Neolithic from the Middle East, bringing domestic goats with them. These escapees can still be found on Lochaber hillsides, gobhar being found in many local place-names. It has always been a strategically important place, with forts and castles built here from the Iron Age through to Medieval times. Dùn Deardail in Glen Nevis was at one time home to the legendary Irish princess Deirdre. The archer figure, emblazoned with Clan Cameron insignia, represents Inverlochy Castle and the Battle of 1431; bowmen secured the battle’s victory from Tom na Faire.
   
   
4. In Early Modern times, “Fort William” was constructed by British Government forces to dampen the rebellious tendencies of the locals! This is where the town’s modern name comes from. Jacobite rebels laid siege to the Fort in 1746 from Sugar Loaf on Cow Hill (where the Scotland flag is today). The area has a rich rural history, and Lochaber’s population boomed in the 19th century thanks to the kelp industry. When it collapsed, compounded by the Potato Famine (Gaiseadh a’ bhuntàta) and the rise of sheep farming, many were forced from their land during the Highland Clearances. During this dark era, a direct sailing to Melbourne, Australia, left from where you are standing today.
   
   
5. Since the Industrial Revolution, the area has seen huge infrastructure projects: the Caledonian Canal, the Laggan Dam and hydro scheme, the railway and the Puggy line, to name a few. These vast undertakings demanded manpower, and many navvies, mainly of Irish extraction, sadly gave their lives in the process; their surnames and culture live on in the town today. The hydro scheme was built to power one of the town’s main industries, still present today: the aluminium smelter, run entirely on hydroelectricity generated by the dam.


6. We are a working town and proud of it. These figures represent some of the main industries many folk work in every day, helping to keep this town ticking: forestry and land management, food, drink and hospitality, manufacturing and aquaculture. These suggestions came from young people I spoke to at Lundavra Primary School and Room 13 in Caol.
   
   
7. When we are not working, we are outside, in all weathers! Fort William is the Outdoor Capital of the UK, and many folk work as guides in the area, helping to make the mountains, glens and waters accessible to all. There are so many pursuits to list, but I wanted to keep the axe theme and pay homage to Hamish MacInnes. Without his inventions, including the ice axe and mountain stretcher, modern mountaineering around the globe would not be the same.
   
   We are also famous for our team sports. We have three shinty teams in the immediate area and are really proud of our native Game of the Gaels. The iconic clash of the ash between Kilmallie and Fort William in the Camanachd Cup of 2005, and the Lochaber Ladies’ league victory in 2025, served as inspiration for the mural figures.
   
   The fiddler also wears the scarf of Fort William FC. Despite playing in the 6th tier of Scottish football, the team boasts a worldwide cult following! Lochaber RFC are also represted here.
   
   The Ben Race has taken place every year since 1895. Local athlete and trailblazer Kathleen MacPherson (Connochie) was the first woman to run the race in 1955, aged 16, despite women being banned from competing! Her record remained unbeaten for the next 24 years.
   
   The town is also famous for downhill mountain biking; Leanachan Forest hosts some of the best downhill trails in the world. Lochaber has produced many of the best riders ever to compete, a great many of whom are women.