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village in Highland, Scotland, UK, at the south end of Loch Ness
Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > Scotland > Scottish Highlands > The Great Glen and Strathspey > Fort Augustus

Fort Augustus is a village in The Great Glen, the fault line that traverses the Scottish Highlands. It's at the south end of Loch Ness, midway between Fort William and Inverness, and in 2023 had a population of about 650. Originally called Cille Chuimein (Church of St Cummein, anglicised as "Kiliwhimin"), it was renamed for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who crushed the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The fort has disappeared beneath later buildings and the main reason to stop off here is to see Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal.

Invermoriston is a village five miles north along Loch Ness, and Invergarry is five miles south on Loch Oich; their facilities are also described on this page.

Get in

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Map
Map of Fort Augustus

The town is on A82, which traverses the Great Glen between Fort William and Inverness along the west bank of Loch Ness.

Citylink Bus 919 runs along A82 from Fort William via Spean Bridge, Laggan, Invergarry, Fort Augustus (one hour), Invermoriston, Castle Urquhart and Drumnadrochit to Inverness (another hour), four times M-Sa and twice on Sunday. The bus stops at the Medical Centre south of the river (handiest for most accommodation) then by the parking lot just north of the bridge.

Buses to Skye bypass Fort Augustus. You either change at Drumnadrochit for Bus 917 Inverness-Portree, or at Invergarry for Bus 915/916 Glasgow-Fort William-Portree-Uig.

Get around

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Fort Augustus is small and walkable. The bus links Glengarry and Invermoriston.

  • 1 Caledonian Canal stretches coast to coast for 60 miles along the Great Glen, from Corpach near Fort William to Inverness. At Fort Augustus it climbs by a ladder of five locks towards Loch Oich, the highest point on the system. The canal parallels the non-navigable River Oich, with a footpath along the bootlace island between.
  • 2 Pepper Pot Lighthouse was built in 1840. It's simply a channel marker to indicate the entrance to the canal.
  • 3 The Fort was built in the 1730s to curb the Jacobites. In the 19th century it became a Benedictine Abbey and school, which closed in 1993. Subsequently there were widespread and well-evidenced claims of abuse of the pupils by the monks. The building became a heritage centre but costs far outran income. It's now luxury apartments trading as Highland Club. You can stroll the grounds.
  • Invergarry Castle is a gaunt shell within the grounds of Glengarry Castle Hotel, see Sleep. It's a 17th-century L-plan tower house, part-demolished by Cumberland after the battle of Culloden to render it useless to rebels. In this he was copying Cromwell, who'd torched it a century earlier.
The canal ascends through five locks
  • Boat trips: Cruise Loch Ness are based by the canal swing bridge.
  • Golf: Fort Augustus GC is half a mile south of town on A82. It has nine holes, with steep terrain and thickets of gorse and heather, 2770 yards par 34.
  • Glengarry Highland Games are held at Invergarry, with the next probably on 5 July 2025, tbc.
  • Loch Ness Marathon follows the minor roads along the east side of the loch from Fort Augustus to Inverness, with the next on Sunday 28 Sep 2025.
  • The Moorings, Canal Side PH32 4DJ (by canal bridges), ☏ +44 1320 366484. Daily 11:00-21:00. Turkish food, on the neck of land between canal and river. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Boathouse, Abbey Hall PH32 4BD (by lighthouse), ☏ +44 1320 366682. Daily noon-9PM. Burgers and Scottish staples plus Med food, you're paying for the view. Part of Highland Club. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Miele's Gelateria is just north of the river bridge, open daily 11AM-5PM.
  • Monster Fish & Chips is north of the river bridge by the bus stop, eat in or take away. It's open M-Sa noon-8PM, Su noon-6:30PM.
  • Beaufort House is a pizzeria on Station Rd south of the canal locks. It's open W-Su 5-9:30PM.
  • Canalside Fish & Chip Shop is a takeaway cabin next to the locks, open daily noon-9PM.

Drink

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Pepper Pot Lighthouse marks the canal entrance
  • Lock Inn, Canal Side PH32 4AU (by flight of locks), ☏ +44 1320 366302. Daily noon-10:30PM. This friendly pub also serves food, and has a nice log fire for a cosy feeling on a winter's night. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Bothy, Canal Side PH32 4AU (by flight of locks), ☏ +44 1320 366710. Daily noon-11PM. Restaurant serving trad Scots fare, plus bar with extensive range of whiskies. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Caledonian Hotel has a small public bar, see "Sleep".

Sleep

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Fort Augustus

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Invermoriston

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The abbey is now private apartments
Invermoriston is 5 miles north of Fort Augustus at the A82 / A887 junction.
  • Glenmoriston Arms, Invermoriston IV63 7YA (at main road junction), ☏ +44 1320 351206. Comfy friendly tavern with good dining. B&B double £175. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 6 Lann Dearg Studios, Dalcataig, Invermoriston IV63 7YG, ☏ +44 1320 351353, . Self-catering studio apartments. No children or pets. From £75 ppn. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Forest Glen Holiday Park, Dalcataig Road, Invermoriston IV63 7YF (by Lann Dearg Studios), ☏ +44 1320 351254. Self-catering cabins, dog-friendly. Rented by the week in summer, 3 nights minimum off-season. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 7 Craik Na Dav, Invermoriston IV63 7YA, ☏ +44 1320 351277. Lovely clean B&B, dog-friendly. B&B double £90. (updated Aug 2023)

Invergarry

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Invergarry is 5 miles south of Fort Augustus at the junction of A82 and A87.
  • Invergarry Hotel PH35 4HJ is a small hotel by the A82 / A87 junction (B&B doubles from £250). The restaurant is the best dining option in the village.
  • 8 Glengarry Castle Hotel, Invergarry PH35 4HW, ☏ +44 1809 501254. Gorgeous hotel built in the 1860s, great scores for comfort and service. The crumbling shell of Invergarry Castle is in the grounds. B&B double £260. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 9 Rokeby Manor, Invergarry PH35 4HG, ☏ +44 1397 704250. Pleasant hotel upper end of the village. B&B double £200. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Ardgarry Farm, Faichem, Invergarry PH35 4HG (behind Rokeby Manor), ☏ +44 1809 501226. One double room B&B, adults only. Children and pets are accepted in the self-catering lodges. The farmhouse used to be the gamekeeper's cottage. B&B double £130. (updated Aug 2023)

Connect

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As of July 2023, Fort Augustus and its approach roads have 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone but no signal from Three. 5G has not yet reached this area.

Go next

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North on A82 along Loch Ness brings you to Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit and Inverness.

South the A82 runs to Spean Bridge, Fort William, Glencoe and Oban.

A87 runs west across the bridge to Skye.


Routes through Fort Augustus
Oban / Glasgow ← Fort William ←  SW  NE  → Drumnadrochit → Inverness
Kyle of Lochalsh ← Dornie ←  W  E  → ENDS



This city travel guide to Fort Augustus is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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