Built on the former site of the town hall and a previous cinema that closed in 2005

Opened in September 2020, Highland Cinema was designed to reflect a traditional bothy, the humble building that has sheltered travellers across the Highlands for centuries. The warm, welcoming entrance and café bar has been built using local stone and features a red corrugated roof, covered terrace, wood burning stove and seating for up to 84. The restaurant offers a range of food from gourmet pizzas to charcuterie, pastries and more, while the bar provides a carefully curated selection of fine Scottish whiskies, gins and beers, plus wine, cocktails and hot and cold drinks. The back of the building houses a state-of-the-art cinema, with two screens, comfortable seating, custom tartan wall fabrics and an unusual addition in Screen 1 – seating in a Lotus Elan car!

Press releases

Download our ‘Highland Cinema Completes Transition To Charitable Trust’ Press Release (30 January 2026)
Download our ‘Highland Cinema Gifted To Charitable Trust’ Press Release (25 September 2025)
Here the Angus MacDonald interview on Nevis Radio about the road to Charitable Status (Broadcast 26 September 2025)

Download our Big Screen ‘UK Cinema Of The Year Award’ Press Release (24 November 2023)
Download our Time Out ’50 Best Cinemas in the UK’ Press Release (3 August 2021)
Download our local launch press release (24 September 2020)
Download our international launch press release (24 September 2020)

Image gallery

Right click to download high resolution JPG images. If you would like additional images, please contact us. Some photos by freelance photographer David Barbour. All free for News / Press Release use.

Logos

Download a zip file containing Highland Cinema logo files.

Fast facts

Fort William is a town on the West Coast of Scotland and gateway to Ben Nevis (the UK’s tallest mountain. The town and surrounding area of Lochaber are recognised as the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’, with a population of 20,000. Annual tourism exceeds 440,000.
The Highlands is famous for providing majestic backdrops for films including Harry Potter, Braveheart, Rob Roy, The Dark Knight Rises and Bond films The World Is Not Enough and Skyfall, plus many others.
Fort William / Lochaber had not had a cinema since 2005, when the previous ‘Studio Cinema’ situated on the same site as the new Highland Cinema, closed down.
The nearest other cinemas are in Oban, which is a 90 minutes drive South of Fort William, or Inverness, which is a two hours drive North.
The founder and financier Angus MacDonald, OBE, was brought up in Glencoe and has always lived in the Highlands. He was/is an entrepreneur with businesses in publishing, online recruitment and education, recycling and renewables. He founded The Caledonian Challenge and Moidart Trust. His wife is Michie, together they have four adult sons.
The professional team were Dualchas Architects, Galbraith, David Narro, Harley Haddow, ARC, Sandy Brown, and Hamish Bell. 3b Construction were the principal contractors.
Key sponsors of the Highland Cinema are Mowi Scotland and Alvance Aluminium. BSW donated the timber. Due to the Alvance sponsorship, locals receive a 30% discount card.
The Lotus sports car was donated by Ivor Dunbar.
The cinema employs 25 members of staff all year round.
Screen 1: 109 seats total. Standard: 75. Luxury: 30. Race Car: 2. Disabled: 2
Screen 2: 62 seats total. Standard: 45. Luxury: 16. Disabled: 1
Café bar capacity: 84. (Inside: 68. Terrace: 16)
Key features: Stunning douglas fir wood ceiling, wood burning stove, stag antler chandeliers.