Auchinleck vs Fort William
Which is better to live in? Distance: 98.4 miles apart.
The verdict
Overall, Auchinleck offers lower property prices by roughly 39%. Fort William has the lower crime rate of the two. For families, Fort William edges ahead on school quality.
Avg House Price
Auchinleck
£127,807
Fort William
£210,131
Crime Rate
Auchinleck
2798.4
Fort William
1805.4
Top-Two School Inspection Bands
Auchinleck
68.2%
Fort William
71.8%
Avg Download Speed
Auchinleck
334
Fort William
110.5
EPC Rating
Auchinleck
61.5
Fort William
59.4
Median Income
Auchinleck
£27,619
Fort William
£35,599
House Prices (2025)
Most affordable in ScotlandBuyers will find Auchinleck more wallet-friendly, where the average price is £127,807 versus £210,131 in Fort William. The most affordable entry point in Auchinleck is a flat at £73,235, while in Fort William it is a flat at £122,118.
Average Price by Property Type (2025)
Biggest gap: flat homes are 40% pricier in Fort William (£122,118 vs £73,235).
Price Trend (23 Years)
Over the last 21 years, Fort William prices grew faster — 132% vs 102%.
Crime & Safety
Safest in ScotlandCrime is lower in Fort William (1,805.4 per 1,000) compared to Auchinleck (2,798.4 per 1,000), a 55% difference. The most common crime category in Auchinleck is other-crime, while in Fort William it is other-crime.
Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)
Both towns share the same top crime category: other crime.
Schools & Education
Best for schools in ScotlandSchool quality favours Fort William: 71.8% of its schools are in the top two inspection bands, compared with 68.2% in Auchinleck.
Auchinleck School Inspection Breakdown
68.2% of 54 schools (47 primary, 7 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
Fort William School Inspection Breakdown
71.8% of 83 schools (73 primary, 10 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
| Metric | Auchinleck | Fort William |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 54 | 83 |
| Primary | 47 | 73 |
| Secondary | 7 | 10 |
| % Top two bands | 68.2% | 71.8% |
Broadband & Connectivity
Internet users in Auchinleck enjoy 334.0 Mbps on average, while Fort William lags behind at 110.5 Mbps. Superfast coverage (30 Mbps+) reaches 95.5% of premises in Auchinleck and 93.8% in Fort William. Gigabit availability stands at 61.1% in Auchinleck and 8.1% in Fort William.
Auchinleck is the faster of the two by 202% on average download speed (334 vs 111 Mbps).
Energy Efficiency & Running Costs
The average EPC rating in Auchinleck is band D (score 61.5), ahead of Fort William's band D (score 59.4). Estimated annual energy costs average £1,333 in Auchinleck and £1,444 in Fort William. 41.2% of homes in Auchinleck have an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 42.8% in Fort William.
Fort William has more energy-efficient housing — 42.8% reach band C or above, vs 41.2% in the other.
Demographics & Economy
Auchinleck has a population of 3,730 while Fort William has 10,340. Median household income is £35,599 in Fort William and £27,619 in Auchinleck. The median age is 42.7 in Auchinleck and 41.9 in Fort William. Employment rates stand at 73.8% in Auchinleck and 76.3% in Fort William.
| Indicator | Auchinleck | Fort William |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,730 | 10,340 |
| Median Age | 42.7 | 41.9 |
| Median Household Income | £27,619 | £35,599 |
| Employment Rate | 73.8% | 76.3% |
| Owner Occupied | 66.8% | 58.6% |
| Degree-Level Qualified | 26.2% | 32.8% |
Location
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
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