Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE WEST HIGHLAND RAILWAY
A fixture in lists of the world's most scenic train journeys, the brilliantly engineered
West
Highland Railway
runs from Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William. The line is in two sections:
the southern part travels from
Glasgow
Queen Street station, up the banks of Loch Lomond
to
Crianlarich
, then around Beinn Odhar on a horseshoe of viaducts to cross
Rannoch
Moor
, where the track had to be laid on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands
of tons of earth and ashes. You're out in the wilds here, the line long having diverged from the
road. The route then swings into Glen Roy, passing through the
Monessie Gorge
to enter
Fort William
.
Leg two, from Fort William to Mallaig, is even more spectacular. Shortly after leaving Fort
William the railway crosses the Caledonian Canal beside Neptune's Staircase at
Benavie
,
before travelling along Locheil and crossing the 21-arch viaduct at
Glenfinnan
, where
passengers get to live out
Harry Potter
fantasies. Then it's on to the coast, with views of the
Small Isles and Skye before journey's end at
Mallaig
. Between May and October, this leg of the
route is also served by the
Jacobite Steam Train
(
W
steamtrain.info).
First stop is
ARISAIG
, an appealingly drowsy place scattered around a sandy bay. he
only specific attraction in the village is the
Land, Sea and Islands Visitor Centre
(Easter
to mid-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 2-5pm; donations;
T
01687
450771,
W
arisaigcentre.co.uk), a volunteer-run community project with displays on
crofting life, local characters and the area's role as a base for Special Operations during
World War II. here's also a small research library of wildlife and walks - gen up before
walking to a seal colony at nearby
Rhumach
, reached via a single-track lane heading
west out of Arisaig.
Stretching for eight miles or so north of Arisaig is a string of stunning white-sand,
azure-water
beaches
: summer holiday favourites backed by flowery machair and with
views out to Eigg and Rùm. Pretty
Traigh
beach is your spot to collect cowrie shells,
but larger and more celebrated is
Camusdarach Beach
a mile or so north, where the
beach scenes of
Local Hero
and
Highlander
were shot. If it's busy, you could make for
one of the two intimate beaches lie over the headlands on either side.
Morar
village, which bookends this route, is dowdy stuff after such a glorious coast. It
that lies a short way west of
Loch Morar
, rumoured to be the home of a monster called
Morag, a lesser-known rival to Nessie.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
12
ARISAIG TO MORAR
By train
Direct services (Mon-Sat 3-4 daily, Sun 1-2
daily) run from Fort William to Arisaig (1hr 5min) and
Morar (1hr 15min).
By boat
Arisaig Marine (
T
01687 450224,
W
arisaig
.co.uk) sails from Arisaig marina to the Small Isles (see
p.496) at 11am daily, from late April to late Sept.
ACTIVITIES
Arisaig Sea Kayak Centre
T
07858/214985,
W
arisaigseakayakcentre.co.uk.
Based at the
Arisaig
Hotel
, this operator offers trips several times a week in
season for all levels (day-trips £70 or private guiding
£250 for two people). You can also rent craft here (from
£25/day) - a superb way to experience this coastline.
West Coast Cycles
T
07769/901823,
W
westcoast
cyclehire.co.uk.
Rents mountain bikes by the day (£20) or up
to a week. Collection of bikes from
Arisaig Hotel
.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Arisaig Hotel
Arisaig
T
01687 450210,
W
arisaighotel
.co.uk.
Enthusiastic new management since 2013 has pepped
up this tired hotel. It now prepares a solid pub menu at good
prices plus Highland real ales on draught. A revamp of
accommodation (Easter-Oct) is promised.
Daily 12.30-
2.30pm & 6-9pm.
Ì
Camusdarach Campsite
Camusdarach
T
01687
450221,
W
camusdarachcampsiteandbeach.co.uk.
By far
the loveliest campsite in the area, its neat fields a pleasing
balance of eco-emptiness and facilities, all spread behind
sands so white they've featured in films. A camp
site c
afé is
promised from 2014. Closed mid-Oct to mid-March.
£12
/pitch
