Nevis Range Mountain Gondola

After devoting much of his life to roaming the German Alps, Sir Hugh Munro became enchanted by mountains, eventually categorizing 282 of them throughout the Scottish Highlands. An enthusiastic incline adventurer with an extreme sense of ambition, he set out to climb them all, and very nearly completed his goal before his death in 1919—missing the mark by only three summits.

The mountains he categorized became known as “Munros.” The Scottish Mountaineering Club, which he cofounded, keeps a list of individuals who have climbed them all.

Fortunately, anyone can enjoy the Scottish Highlands without having to trek up an entire Munro. In the charming neighborhood of Fort William, a group of visionaries thought, “Why climb mountains when you can glide to the sky?” Thus this marvelous red dollop—the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola— was born. Over the course of fifteen minutes, it takes passengers all the way to the tippy-“Top Station” on the Aonach Mòr. Originally devised specifically for skiers, the gondola now transports people yearround…after all, must we be winter enthusiasts to want a view from the top?

The key features along the way are the royal peaks of Great Glen and Ben Nevis. How one gets down from over 2,000 feet into the mountains is a personal choice. Some take the gondola back to the bottom; adventurers with more extreme inclinations paraglide off the cliff or venture down the pass on a mountain bike.

One imagines that even Sir Hugh would want to enjoy the ride from this dangling basket hoisting him through the crisp Scottish air, to give him a leisurely look at the Highlands—and perhaps assist him in finally identifying those last elusive mountain summits.

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