Scotland: West Highland Line Rail & Hiking Tour

West Highland Line: Rail & Hike

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.7 Read 49 reviews

Walk the iconic West Highland Way up into the Scottish Highlands
Puff across Glenfinnan viaduct to the west coast on the Jacobite steam train
Sail across to the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond
Follow the tracks across remote Rannoch Moor, home to regal stags
Explore the paths and trails at Glen Nevis with an option to climb Ben Nevis

Explore the Scottish Highlands by train and on foot. Combine a walk along the UK's most famous national trail, the West Highland Way, with one of the 'World's Best Train Journeys' on a journey through Scotland's western Highlands. This rail and hike adventure will take you past mountains, forests, lochs and glens, including a boat trip on Loch Lomond, before reaching Fort William at the foot of Britain's tallest mountain, Ben Nevis. A fitting finale to your trip is a train ride on the 'Jacobite' steam train, also known as the 'Hogwarts Express'. Mallaig is the gateway to the Isle of Skye and a temptation for further adventures. For more information on the West Highland Way, you can download our Free online guide, or visit our in-depth West Highland Way information page.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

If you love the idea of watching the Scottish Highland landscape unfold from the comfort of the West Highland train line, coupled with walking the most famous of Scotland’s national trails then this trip is for you.

Tour Type:

Discovery | Think of it as a ‘local’s guide’ to the best of the region. It includes a combination of activity and transportation to give you the freedom to explore and cover more ground at your own pace. We do all the research and organisation for you. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy!

Activity:

Rail and Hike | Perfectly planned itineraries discovering the best of a destination both by train and on foot.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Long-Distance Trails
Accessible by Rail

Activity Level & Terrain

This trip is graded easy to moderate and includes daily walks of between 8 - 13 miles. The terrain may be rugged underfoot with some hills but not too strenuous. Perfect for those with a relatively good level of fitness.

Navigation

The route is generally well way marked and easy to follow. We supply a detailed map and route notes so you will easily find your way.

Experience & Fitness

This route is suitable for most regular walkers. You should train by walking some daily walks of similar daily distances to your planned itinerary.

Accommodations

Our West Highland Line - Rail & Hike holidays include overnight accommodation in a mix of 2, 3 and 4 star country inns, hotels, guesthouses and B&B’s. The accommodation we use most often is listed below. We carefully select your accommodation to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay and all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food.

We book en suite rooms as standard. If there are no en suite rooms available in an overnight location, we may book a room with shared facilities, but we would always inform you in advance if this was the case.

Accommodation Upgrade

If you would prefer a little extra luxury whilst in Fort William, Spean Bridge or Mallaig you can upgrade to our hotel accommodation option. For this option we use a selection of country hotels, luxury bed and breakfasts and country inns of character.

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, we may have to accommodate you at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere we will advise you of this before confirming your booking and arrange transfers to and from your overnight accommodation at our expense.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This holiday is available to solo walkers, although a single supplement is payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate your request, although it is not generally possible to secure more than three single rooms in a party. A single supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning while lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Your accommodation will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival, alternatively your guidebook also includes details of local shops and convenient lunch stops on the way. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs and restaurants and your info pack will of course have recommendations.

Included

7 Nights in good quality guesthouses/small hotels
7 Breakfasts
Door to door baggage transfer on walking days
Train travel as per itinerary (standard class)
One way tickets on the ‘Jacobite’ steam train from Fort William to Mallaig
A detailed information pack, guidebook and required maps
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office

Excluded

Travel to/from Glasgow
Lunches, dinners, snacks & drinks
Travel insurance (required)
Personal equipment
Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage

Extras

Glasgow accommodation (pre-tour)
Upgrade to hotel standard accommodation throughout
Extra night/s along the route
Upgrade to first class rail travel

When To Go

You can start this tour on any day of the week throuhgout the season which is April to October.

Weather and Climate

Scotland's climate is notoriously changeable! Expect some amounts of both sunshine and rain regardless of the time of year, so always pack both waterproofs and sunscreen. July and August are usually warmest with average temperatures around 14 degrees centigrate, and highs of up to mid-twenties. Some snow may remain or even fall on the higher parts of the route in March & April, and even beyond. May has the least rainfall on average, but you would still expect some wetter days, and each year can vary greatly.

Getting to the Start

By Air: Located 8 miles west of Glasgow, Glasgow International Airport is served by routes from around Britain and the world. A regular shuttle bus service runs to the city centre.

By Train: Glasgow has excellent rail links from within the UK. It is important to book as far in advance as possible to get the best fares. For information on all routes contact National Rail Enquires.

By Bus: Services from UK destinations are operated by National Express.

Services from Scottish destinations are operated by Scottish Citylink.

By Car: Glasgow is served by an excellent motorway network. Long term parking is generally available in the city centres. For directions and journey planner visit the mulitimap weblink.

Getting from the End

By Train: Following completion of your holiday you may wish to return toward Glasgow via the West Highland Line. Journey time is approximately 5hrs 30mins. For information on all routes contact National Rail Enquiries.

By Ferry: For onward travel to Skye you may take the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Armadale. Crossing time is approximately 30 minutes. For information on all routes contact Caledonian MacBrayne.

For detailed public transport information see Traveline Scotland.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation on each walking day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 18kg per person. On the rail days we ask that you take all your baggage with you aboard the train.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How fit do I need to be?

How far in advance do I need to book?

What personal equipment do I need?

When is the best time of year?

What are the midges like?

Am I able to take my dog?

What happens if I can’t walk a stage?

Do you move the bags from place to place or do we?

Itinerary

Day 1 West Highland Line from Glasgow to Ardlui Day 2 West Highland Way to Crianlarich 9.5 miles / 15 km Day 3 Walk the West Highland Way to Bridge of Orchy 13.5 miles / 22 km

Commencing with a gentle start through the verdant Strath Fillan, you will walk the footsteps of St Fillan, a 8th century Irish evangelist whose subsequent cult attracted Robert the Bruce as one of his followers.

Passing through the ruins of his chapel you move through Dalrigh, the King’s Field’, where legend has it Robert the Bruce suffered defeat in 1306. Following the ‘Way’ amidst the sky scraping mountain scenery of Beinn Odhar and Beinn Dorain you descend to Bridge of Orchy.

Overnight Bridge of Orchy

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Bridge of Orchy Hotel | 4 Star | Country Hotel

The Bridge of Orchy hotel welcomes guests with personalised service, imaginative Scottish cuisine and an intimate atmosphere. The hotel’s personalised service and ‘can do’ approach is seen in their bedrooms and throughout the hotel and a real home-from-home feel is their priority.

Stance Cottage | Bed and breakfast

Your hosts at Stance Cottage understand that you love the outdoors! It is situated just off the West Highland Way and is kitted out with a drying cabinet for wet outdoor clothes and boots, along with tea/coffee making facilities, and fluffy white towels. Historically drovers would stop in Bridge of Orchy and pay to ‘stance’ their cattle/sheep in the stance below the cottage. Over the last 150 years a shed or barn has continuously stood beside the cottage. These have been demolished and re-constructed several times since the cottage was built, and each have been used for many different functions, including the storage of hay and livestock. Stance Cottage is once again a welcome haven for people on a journey.

Inveroran Hotel | Hotel

Inveroran believe that coming to visit the hotel should be a very special experience for everyone and they have done their best to retain the atmosphere of the 19th century inn throughout the modern hotel and offer great food, great hospitality and comfortable rooms.

Day 4 West Highland Line to Spean Bridge 5 miles / 8 km

After breakfast you have the option of a 5 mile loop walk to the shores of Loch Tulla. with uninterrupted views across the loch, wild Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount.

A relaxing afternoon follows as you board the West Highland Line to head across Rannoch Moor. Crossing a wide remote expanse of the Rannoch Plateau at 300m above sea level. This is a wild landscape of peat bogs, lochans and ancient forests, home now to herds of red deer. Passing Loch Treig the line descends into fertile Glen Spean and the Great Glen.

Optional Loch Tulla Walk: 5 miles, 175m ascent, 164m descent, 2 - 3 hours

Overnight Spean Bridge

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Spean Lodge Country House | Bed and breakfast

Spean Lodge is a spacious and comfortable family home offering a truly warm welcome in period accommodation. It is tastefully decorated throughout with many antique furnishings and paintings to add interest to your stay and set in large wooded grounds with extensive lawns above the rocky banks of the River Spean. All rooms include tea and coffee making facilities, digital flat screen TV, radio alarm, hair dryer and free Wi-Fi access.

Distant Hills Guest House | Guest House

Distant Hills has a peaceful setting amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in the Highlands with uninterrupted mountain views. They have seven individually designed comfortable rooms with en-suite shower rooms. Rooms are furnished in contemporary quality furniture with 24 hour individually controlled heating. There is also a drying room and WIFI access.

Riverside Lodge Gardens | 4 Star | Bed and breakfast

Riverside Lodge Gardens is situated in a lovely location and offers quality and spacious 4 Star accommodation. All rooms are located on the ground floor, with new spacious en-suite facilities, together with comfortable seating areas.

Day 5 Walk the East Highland Way to Fort William 12 miles / 19 km Day 6 Ben Nevis climb or walks in Glen Nevis 10 miles / 16 km Day 7 West Highland Line to Mallaig - The ‘Jacobite’ steam train

A real treat is in store today with a trip on the ‘Jacobite’ steam train from Fort William out to the west coast port of Mallaig. A highlight of the journey is crossing the 21 arches of the Glenfinnan viaduct. While having gained recent fame through the ‘Harry Potter’ films, the location is historically important as the landing point of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 for his Jacobite uprising.

The dramatic scenery continues with summits towering over 700m above the tracks as you puff and whistle through the passes. Reaching the wild rocky and rugged west coast with views across to the small isles of Rum and Eigg. The train brings you into the vibrant port of Mallaig which is also the perfect starting point for a trip out onto the Isle of Skye, only a 30 minute ferry ride away.

Overnight Mallaig

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Moorings Guest house | Guest House

Heather looks forward to meeting you at the Moorings which has super views over the working fishing port of Mallaig. Moorings is located approximately a 5 minute walk from Mallaig Train station, with ferries for Skye, the Outer Isles and other local amenities nearby. All bedrooms are comfortably furnished with TV, radio, en suite shower, tea and coffee making facilities and room hairdryer.

Seaview Guest house | Guest House

Seaview Guesthouse is a comfortable guesthouse in the centre of Mallaig. Overlooking the harbour of this pretty fishing village, the guesthouse provides all you need for a relaxing stay. A hearty Scottish breakfast is cooked to order and special dietary requirements are catered with advance notice.

West Highland Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

Overlooking the village, this 4-star hotel retains the traditional charm of a bygone age combined with modern touches in the comfortable surroundings. Dining is a delight with views out to the Cuillin mountains in Skye. All rooms are en-suite with Freeview TVs and some boasting views of the harbour and isles beyond.

Day 8 Onward Travel