Fort William

The town that sits at the foot of Britain's highest mountain doesn't mess about with subtlety. Fort William sprawls beneath Ben Nevis like a proper Highland staging post, all outdoor gear shops and early-morning hillwalkers clutching oversized rucksacks. You can spot the serious climbers a mile off - they're the ones studying weather forecasts over breakfast at 6am.

Nevis Range Mountain Resort offers the quickest route up if your knees aren't built for the tourist path, though the gondola ride up Aonach Mor gives cracking views without the four-hour slog. Down in the town, Neptune's Staircase remains the real showstopper - eight canal locks stepping down towards Loch Linnhe like a liquid ladder. Watching narrowboats navigate the lot takes the better part of an hour, but it's oddly satisfying.

The West Highland Railway line terminates at nearby Banavie, making this one of Scotland's most accessible Highland towns. That's both blessing and curse - Fort William gets properly busy in summer, with tour buses clogging the A82 and every hotel room booked solid. The surrounding landscape more than makes up for the crowds though. Loch Linnhe stretches south towards the Atlantic, while Glen Nevis cuts deep into the mountains behind town.

Staying at one of the holiday parks scattered around the area makes perfect sense. You get the mountain views without the town-centre prices, plus easy access to both the loch and the hills. Most are within spitting distance of the Caledonian Canal, where you can walk off yesterday's climbing efforts along the towpath. The peaks of Cruim Leacainn and Meall Bhanbhaidh loom over everything, constant reminders that Fort William exists purely as a gateway to bigger things.