Day 3 Train journey to Mallaig

We started our morning by exploring Fort William. The town has a sleepy feel as if it is heaving a sigh after a busy summer of tourists. There are a good few independent shops which makes it a pleasant place to visit. Our elevenses included huge scones which set us up for the day.

Just after midday we caught the train to Mallaig. Before our trip we had been disappointed to discover the Jacobite steam train was fully booked which forced us to take a regular train. The journey has been voted the best in the world and features spectacular loch and mountain views not to mention the world famous Glenfinnan viaduct (as featured in Harry Potter). Despite the weather we thoroughly enjoyed the journey and arrived in Mallaig around 13:30. The Jacobite was there waiting to depart and we were at least able to see the loco.

Mallaig is a small quiet town and the 2.5 hours we had to explore was ample, especially in the rain. Thankfully the skies cleared long enough for us to walk along the seafront for a while. We were entertained by a couple of Royal Marines hovercraft which were buzzing around the harbour.

On our return journey we were treated to dry weather and good light which highlighted the autumn colours all over the mountains. The wildlife was also on show and we saw around a dozen red deer (both stags and does), a heron and an unidentified bird of prey.Read more