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ROUTE 1

Cow Hill and Druimarbin

Start/Finish	Fort William south end (NN 098 736)
Distance	14km/8½miles
Total ascent	500m/1700ft
Time	4½hr
Terrain	Smooth paths
Max altitude	Druimarbin 287m

A gentle exploration of Fort William and lower Glen Nevis; but with a touch of mountain ground, plus Linnhe views, on Druimarbin.

Start at the car park at the Ballachulish end of Fort William. Follow the loch-side pavement northeast around the town to a roundabout with the old fort, the start of the Great Glen Way, on the left. GGW waymarkers lead along tarred path to left of McDonalds, then through a warehouse area. Dogleg right then left among houses to a road bridge across River Nevis.

Cross, and ignoring a track beside the river, turn right up a fenced path beside houses for 300 metres. Keep ahead along Dubh MacDonald Road, then bear right to the A82. Cross into a street signposted for the Ben Nevis Inn, but after 100 metres turn right on a stone bridge over River Nevis. Turn left on pavement for 400 metres, until a track forks down left to another crossing of River Nevis, a metal footbridge.

Turn right to a small car park, where a good path continues ahead along the river. After 1.2km, cross a footbridge into the car park of the Nevis Visitor Centre (Ionad Nibheis). Pass along riverbank to left of the visitor centre, onto a path through trees to the Glen Nevis road. Continue for 50 metres, to a path on the right signed as the Peat Track to Cow Hill. Head up the wide path; as you enter trees, a gate on the right leads to a footbridge to the nearby burial ground, a place of not terribly antique gravestones and beech trees. Return to the Peat Track and continue up.

At a forest road crossing, right is signed for Fort William, but keep ahead up the steep but good path for Cow Hill. At the top of the trees, keep ahead on the path to meet a track. Turn right, for 1.5km to Cow Hill. At the radio mast, keep ahead for a few steps for a view down onto Fort William.

Return along the track. After it passes the path you came up on, it bends round to the right. Follow the track down to a road at the edge of Fort William.

Turn left up to a car park viewpoint and picnic place. Opposite this, go through a rusty metal gate. Head up, with a fence on the right to start with, to a second rusty red gate onto open hill. A peaty, heathery path leads uphill and follows the rounded crest to the trig point on Druimarbin, with a lovely view along Loch Linnhe.

On Druimarbin, view to Fort William and Great Glen

Turn round – the views now are along the Great Glen – and head back to the road at the viewpoint. Turn left, downhill, past the end of the Peat Track and into Fort William. Keep ahead down Lundavra Road for 500 metres. Just after a bridge over a stream, at a waymark post, turn left down a tarred lane. After it recrosses the stream, turn right down steps then a tarred path. Keep ahead down Ashburn Lane to the A82.

Cross the main road and take paths past flowerbeds along the lochside, to the walk start.