AS our gondola nears the top of Aonach Mor, it feels like the whole of Scotland is laid out before us.

Shimmering, icy-blue lochs and deep green forests look for all the world like they have been painted on to a backdrop of heather-covered hills and mountain peaks, stretching to the horizon.

It's one of several jaw-dropping moments we experience during our visit to Nevis Range, including the realisation that the steep, rocky track which winds its way down the mountain is in fact a bike trail.

"I would love to try that," gasps our gung-ho five-year-old.

Since it opened in 1989, Nevis Range, which is located about seven miles north of Fort William on the A82, has been on a mission to prove that mountains are not only for skiing.

This "resort for all seasons" now hosts everything from paragliding and summer ceilidhs to a world-class downhill mountain-bike track, which has hosted seven UCI World Cups and the world championships. It is also home to the popular High Wire Adventure course, which opened at the gondola base station in 2010.

The rope adventure course is where our visit starts, and our friendly instructors, Lynsay Raitt and Kate Woolley, soon put us at ease with a safety demonstration.

Our tentative attempts are soon put to shame by our monkey-like children, who swing, scramble and swoop their way around the course. There is relief all round when Harry, the fearless five-year-old, is just tall enough to take part.

There are several trails – some were closed during our visit because of storm damage – built on poles and in trees at the edge of the car park and in Leanachan forest. They range in height from around 1.5m to 10m off the ground and comprise a series of obstacles, including ladders, rope-bridges and balance beams, plus a jump from 11 metres (the infamous Swoop) and a 100m zip slide.

Kate, who works part-time at the resort during her university studies, explains: "It's a beautiful place to work. I do ski instruction in the winter and move down here in the summer, and it's great fun." Pointing out the three peaks which tower over the car park – Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis itself – she adds: "You can't really complain when you have a view like that."

After all the monkeying around on the high wires, the boys are hungry, so we head for the gondola which will take us up the mountain to the Snowgoose restaurant.

It's one of two eating places on the resort – the Pinemarten cafe is located at the base station, serving snacks, tea and coffee.

The Nevis Range mountain gondola system, the only one of its kind in Britain, was originally constructed on Aonach Mor as a way to transport skiers to the slopes. It is also widely used as a short-cut by climbers to the many challenging winter routes on the hill and by paragliders and hang-gliders on their journey to the clouds.

Today, the gondola is a highly acclaimed visitor attraction in its own right, attracting about 200,000 visitors each year. The six-seater cars carry passengers from the base station at 100m to the top station at around 650m (or 2150 feet in old money) and the journey takes about 15 minutes. In the summer months, you can visit the Mountain Discovery Centre, based in the Ski Club room under the Snowgoose restaurant, which tells you about the history of the Nevis Range, wildlife and the local environment.

Lunch at the Snowgoose is a lively, noisy affair as it is packed with families enjoying the activities, or simply the views from the outside tables. But the food is great – home cooking and fresh baking made from local produce – and the staff are friendly and efficient.

Back at ground level, our last activity of the day is mountain-biking – but not the scary, off-the-scale course that we saw from the gondola. This is a more gentle beginners' lesson at the base station.

Our instructor, Doug Little, is fantastic – great with the kids and full of tips for the grown-ups. "There are more than 25 miles of waymarked routes here that can be explored at any time of the year, and all routes are graded from easy to expert," he explains. "It's perfect for family cycling."

Like many of the staff at Nevis Range, Little started as a ski instructor and diversified.

"I helped out a couple of times with the bikes and really loved it – now I enjoy it much more than the skiing," he says.

After some exercises to get us used to the bikes, Little lets us loose on the easier trails and nine-year-old Archie, a keen cyclist on the country roads at home, takes to it like a duck to water.

"It's bumpier than riding on the road, so you have to stand up more," he explains. "But once you get the hang of it, it's easy."

We finish off with some fun balancing games in a special set-up area at the foot of the trails. With Little's help, the boys negotiate the see-saws and assorted obstacles beautifully. No-one falls off, which is the perfect way to finish the day.

For more information about Nevis Range, visit www.nevisrange.co.uk.

It costs from £8 per child and £11 per adult on the High Wires Adventure course and from £6.75 for children and £11.50 for adults for the gondola trip. Prices vary for mountain bike sessions including gondola uplift, family sessions, bike hire and private tuition – check the website or call 01397 705 825 for details.

Accommodation includes the Ballachulish Hotel (www.akkeronhotels.com), a friendly three-star hotel on the banks of Loch Linnhe and Loch Leven. Call 0844 855 9133 for room rates.