October 19, 2013
Scot Rail Glasgow - Crianlarich 1221p – 209p Economy Class
Scot Rail Crianlarich – Fort William 221p - 543p Economy Class

Following a good night’s sleep and a hot breakfast, I headed back down to the Charring Cross Station and caught the Blackburn line one stop up to Glasgow’s Queen Street Station. Though not as large as the Central Station, Queen Street still sported seven platforms and appeared to be ScotRail’s base of operations in Glasgow. On one side of the station were a variety of restaurants and coffee stands (Starbucks vs. Costa’s), so I wandered over there to check out the offerings. Since catering aboard the train was limited to trolley service (Hot and cold beverages with a few snacks and sandwiches) I purchased a good looking sub sandwich and a bottle of water to tide me over during the four hour ride to Fort William.

The last time I rode a train in Scotland was three and a half years ago in March of 2010. It was a bright sunny day as we pulled out of Inverness bound for Kyle of Lochkalsh, sixty miles to the west. I remember it as one of the prettiest train rides I’d ever taken as we rolled past lakes, mountains and small towns on our way to the coast. That ride served as the inspiration for this trip because I knew right then and there that I’d one day have to come back and explore more of Scotland by rail.

The West Highlands are considered by many to be the prettiest part of Scotland and so it comes as no surprise that the West Highland Line is said to be the most scenic train ride in all of Scotland, if not the U.K. The line runs from Glasgow west to Fort William and then north up the coast to Mallaig. A number of well-known movies have been filmed out between Fort William and Mallaig including Highlander, Local Hero and parts of the Harry Potter movies.

The only downside to this exciting day for me was that it was a typical autumn day in Scotland – that is to say it was cloudy with a light drizzle. Oh well, I’m here and I’m ready to go so let’s head on out to platform seven where our train is almost ready to depart.

Waiting for us on platform seven were four shiny cars wearing the attractive dark blue livery of ScotRail. There was no separate engine. That’s because each car, known as a Class 158 Express Sprinter, is self-powered with a diesel engine located beneath the passenger cabin. Although the cars looked fairly new and modern, they were actually over twenty years old, having been built and delivered back in the early nineties.



Standard Class Seating on ScotRail Trains

The seating arrangement is a mix of forward and backward facing seats at each end of the car with two tables for four on each side in the middle. A large tour group had boarded in Glasgow and the train was almost completely full as we pulled out of the station and began our journey west through the rainy Glasgow suburbs. I was sat at one of the tables and across from me were Carol and Katherine from the Isles of Mull and Lewis respectively. They were on their way home after having competed in a week long Gaelic choir competition in Glasgow. Choirs from all over Scotland were in attendance and had I known about this event, I might have tried to get into Glasgow a day early. When it came up that my home was in Alaska, Carol mentioned that she’d cruised up to Juneau once. Indeed she was quite widely traveled having visited the U.S. on three occasions along with a host of other international destinations including one of my personal favorites, Mauritius. By contrast, Katherine had been down to London occasionally and over to Amsterdam once but otherwise had spent all of her life on Lewis Island. She had a stronger accent than Carol but I found both of them easy to understand as well as enjoyable traveling companions.

The journey to Fort William was every bit as pretty as advertised. We skirted the north bank of the Firth of Clyde before beginning a gradual climb that would take us high above the shores Loch Lomond. The forested areas were quite rich with an abundance of ferns attesting to the large amount of rain this area receives – up to 180” per year.



Station Break at Crianlarich



The Station at Crianlarich

As we pulled into the town of Crianlarich we were all treated to an unexpected surprise. Parked across the platform from us was the beautiful Jacobite steam train that operates during the summer season between Fort William and Mallaig. Today it was operating a private excursion out to Crianlarich. We all got off the train to admire the beautiful engine and cars. Photos were taken. I also bid so long to Carol and Katherine here as they were headed down a different set of tracks to Oban where ferries would complete their journey home.


LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 Steam Engine at Crianlarich


Iconic British Railways Logo on Jacobite Steam Engine

From Crianlarich the rail line rises to over 1300 feet and travels 23 miles across the beautifully barren landscape of the Rannoch Moor. Along the way the trolley made its rounds and over the course of the trip I couldn’t resist shelling out $6.00 US for a couple cups of powdered coffee. I can only imagine it must have been the grey rainy day outside, because somehow that coffee actually tasted okay. Eventually we began a long descent through the heart of the Highlands past Loch Treig and into a beautiful gorge before following Glen Spean on down into Fort William. As we rolled into the station at FTW, I took note of the overnight Caledonian Sleeper train parked alongside us. I had considered using this train to get to or from Fort William but the schedules were such that I would have missed out on some very pretty scenery due to either darkness or me sleeping early in the morning.


Caledonian Sleeper Parked at Fort William

My original intent had been to take this train all the way up to Mallaig, spend a couple of nights there and take the ferry over to the Isle of Skye on a day trip. Unfortunately all the affordable hotels in Mallaig were sold out – perhaps because of the tour group – and so I ended up booking a room in Fort William instead. Fort William is larger and quite a bit more touristy than Mallaig, but the hotel I stayed in couldn’t have been more perfect!

Located right in the center of Fort William just across the road from the railway station, The Alexandra Hotel was exactly the kind of hotel I love to stay in. It wasn’t the finest hotel in Fort William by any means but it may well have had the most character. Built in 1876 and renovated in 2000, the hotel attracted not only visitors but also locals. My ensuite double room included everything from a hair dryer to Wi-Fi along with a nice view out over the town commons and the Loch Linnhe beyond. The comfortable and attractively furnished bar and lounge area made for a great place to enjoy a cold beer (Tennant Lager for me, thanks!) or one of the many single malt whiskeys on offer at the bar. There were two dining rooms, one with a casual ambience and an a la carte menu and the other a bit more formal with complete fixed price dinners. In the morning a complimentary full hot breakfast buffet was available. I would definitely stay here again!


The Alexandra Hotel at Fort William



My Room at The Alexandra Hotel


October 20, 2013
Scot Rail Fort William - Mallaig 1212p – 139p Economy Class
Scot Rail Mallaig – Fort William 421p - 543p Economy Class

Today being Sunday, the first train up to Mallaig wasn’t scheduled to depart until 12:12pm. The midday departure allowed me to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and then take a short stroll around town before heading over to the station. I might have gotten started earlier and taken a longer stroll out to the fort had it not been for yet another rainy autumn day along the northwest Scottish coast.

The Mallaig Extension of the West Highland Railway opened in 1901 and runs 41 miles through some of the prettiest country in Scotland. With no tour groups on today’s train we had a bit more room to stretch out. I took a window seat at one of the tables and settled in for the hour and a half ride up to Mallaig.


ScotRail 2nd Class Table Seating

After running alongside Loch Eil, we began a gradual climb into the hills. Much of the track ran through forested troughs so visibility was often limited. That and the spotted, reflective windows made photography less than ideal. When we would get the occasional glimpse of a beautiful valley or coastal scene in the distance, it was important to have your camera ready or you’d end up with a lot of bush shots.


Photographic Reflection Problems Through the Train Windows

For many the highlight of the ride was crossing the magnificent curved Glenfinnan Viaduct, well known to fans of Harry Potter movies. I really ought to go see one of those someday! The train stopped on the viaduct for a couple of minutes allowing everyone to enjoy the spectacular view beyond.


Glenfinnan Viaduct on a Sunny Day
Photo Courtesy of ScotRail



View From The Glenfinnan Viaduct

Continuing on we were treated to pretty views of the dramatic coastline including the famous White Sands of Morar. An older couple behind me remarked that this was where part of the Burt Lancaster film “Local Hero” was made. As we made our way down Mallaig we could clearly see the distinctive silhouettes the islands of Eigg, Muck and Rum.


Rum and Mohr Islands


Approaching Mallaig

The schedule allowed for a two and a half hour stopover in Mallaig so I had plenty of time to walk down to the docks and up the hill to an old hotel before settling in at a local tea house for a plate of good, local fish and chips. A couple pints of Tennant’s washed it all down quite nicely and three hours later I was back at the Alexandra Hotel bar recounting the day’s adventures with a couple of my fellow train passengers. Even though I didn’t really get any great photographs, I will always have great memories of my ride on the West Highland Line. Weather notwithstanding, I look forward to coming back and doing it all over again someday.


Leaving Mallaig


Scenery Between Fort William and Glasgow


Scenery Between Fort William and Glasgow

Over the next two days I made my way back across Scotland to Edinburgh and then down to London via a First Class seat on the East Coast mainline into London King’s Cross station. From there it was a simple journey on the Underground’s Victoria line out to Heathrow where I caught a free #81 bus to my hotel for the night.


My Room at The Cherry Tree Inn - Edinburgh


First Class Seating on East Coast Rail