Route : Glasgow - Fort William |
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The West Highland Lines:
Glasgow-Oban-Fort William-Mallaig
The Road to the Isles
You are never far from water, uisge beatha– the water of life, on the West
Highland. The once mighty Clyde, Lochs
Gare and Long,
the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, the rivers Tulla and Lochy, Loch
Treig, the
tumbling waterfalls in the Monessie Gorge, and Eil, Shiel and Etive all
sustain
the traveller as the train threads its tortuous route through the
mountains to
the sea: Oban for Mull and the Western Isles, Mallaig for Skye. And
where
topography threatened their progress, the railway’s builders
responded with
magnificent viaducts: the Horseshoe, Loch nam Uamh, Garelochhead and
Glenfinnan. At Crianlarich the train
divides, west for the gentler run to Oban, north for the struggle up to
Corrour, where the railway is built on peat, and around the skirts of
Ben
Nevis. Stay with the azure water and follow Bonnie Prince Charlie over
the sea
to Skye.
The Glasgow to Fort William service is one of the greatest railway journeys in the world. The scenery is breathtaking throughout the year, earning the tag 'The Line for all Seasons'. Visitors often ask for advice on which side of the train to sit. This is difficult to answer as the beauty of Mountain and Loch suddenly appear on both sides as the train passes through some areas that are inaccessible by road.
The line celebrated its centenary in 1994 and is regarded as a major feat of civil engineering.
Enjoy a great day out, or if time allows, escape from the cities for a few days and immerse yourself in an area overflowing with history and culture.