Ben Nevis Parking

So there’s easy access to the Ben Nevis Path, the visitor centre (it’s recommended to check on weather conditions here before starting an ascent of the mountain) and the long-distance West Highland Way (all five minutes’ walk) as it wends its way north towards Inverness. And there are loads of other things to do and see: perhaps visit the impressive Neptune’s Staircase lock flight (10 minutes’ drive), designed by Victorian engineer Thomas Telford, or take the so-called ‘Hogwarts Express’, a steam train ride on the scenic Jacobite Line (another Victorian technological marvel) between Fort William (five minutes’ drive) and the west coast at Mallaig. If the kids are with you, go hunting for Nessie on Loch Ness boat trips from Fort Augustus (50 minutes), where you can also walk along the Great Glen Way. When the weather is with you, go kayaking on Loch Linnhe (10 minutes), and when it’s not, try the entertaining displays of stones and gems at Treasures of the Earth (15 minutes).