Glenfinnan or Mallaig for 2 nights

I spent quite a few days in that area last year.
I would choose Mallaig, it opens up the chance to take either the wildlife tour or a night over or daytrip

to Inverie and the famous hikers bar The Old Forge
Huge ice creams by the shop by the seated area by Mallaig harbour ,it has a huge old style clock above the entrance.
I love a bit of Calmac and its only £3.20 each way to go over to Skye and at least half the time harbour porpoises swim ahead of the boat.
The Clachain Inn is my prefered place for liquid refreshment in Mallaig.
August is prime midge season buy a midgehood £5ish as soon as you set eyes on one.
Helens bench is worth the couple of mins walk from the harbour

I would say totally Mallaig.

Glenfinnan is a tiny place- apart from the Jacobite Memorial and the cruise on Loch Shiel there is not a lot to do there.

From Mallaig there are a number of possible day landing trips to the Small Isles, wildlife cruises and the mailboat to Inverie- Knoydart- almost the only place left in Scotland with no effective access other than boat- a fascinating place to visit. You would also find the wonderful beaches at Morar and Arisaig easier to access from Mallaig, as they have a 'town' bus service from Mallaig. You could also do Glenfinnan either on the train or on Shiel's Bus Service #500 to Fort Willliam.

Sounds like you just miss it but Mallaig n Morar games is the first Sunday of August I volunteered there last year.
A very happy day.
I think Arisaig games are the following Wednesday from memory.
The MAD band ,Mallaig and Ardnamuchan are worth a watch

Thank you all so much for all the excellent tips and information! Mallaig it will be then, but I do want to check out that Loch Shiel cruise. Alas, the Chlachain Inn is already totally booked up for the entire month of August. The food looks amazing though, so I definitely must dine there.

Knoydart sounds truly interesting. I was reading about it in my National Geographic book on Scotland and it mentioned the Old Forge. I may have to take a trip over there during one of my days in Mallaig. In fact, I may have to add an extra day onto my schedule! So much to see in that area really. I have the beaches at Morar and Arisaig on my “to walk” list. They look amazing. Thanks for the reminder about the midges! Was planning to save Skye maybe for another visit, since I’ve read so much about the crowds.

I would LOVE to go to a highlands game, visit with some local folks (or help them if needed), and I would be willing to rearrange my schedule to accommodate. Getting to know the people is one of the main reasons why I want to travel more. I will keep an eye out for the exact dates of those Mallaig n Morar games. I googled it and didn’t see any dates announced yet. I also love piping, so I will see if I can catch the MAaD band -- I found their facebook page. I was even thinking of checking out Pipes Live in Glasgow on my way back to Edinburgh. Has anyone seen that?

So much to experience in Scotland, I’m already planning my next trip!

Appreciate the advice, Richards and isn31c – I also want to visit your beautiful regions of Yorkshire and Lake District on a future trip. Cheers!

Think I sent you a PM too.
As Sheffield is as far from the sea as you can get,I get a very childish buzz jumping on and off ferries.
I guess I can post it on here but as part of wanderings last year we went and visted Tom McLeans whale and got permission via a friend of a friend and as a favour repaid to spend the night on board.
I have msg Colin the Games chairman to confirm the date.

Hey Richard, thanks! I just saw your PM - I didn't realize it was there! Lol! New to the forum - please give me a few to figure everything out.

I totally understand about the ocean and the ferries! I have lived all my life in landlocked Oklahoma and North Texas.

Thank you for asking Colin about the dates!

Confirmed
Sunday 4th of August, the Games.
Buses from Mallaig to the playing field in Morar
Theres is a ceilidh the night before in the marquee too and a late night bus back Mallaig .

I would choose Glenfinnan in a heartbeat -- and I have (have been there three times). The scenery there is absolutely stunning, the Loch Shiel cruises are so fun, it's fabulous to get to hike up around the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and for other walking / hiking, you can take the train (or bus) to Morar or elsewhere to do one of the walks featured on the Walks Highland website.

My only issue now is that my all-time favorite hotel and eatery with the most divine location right on the loch has lost its 20-year management team, and I am a little wary of how the owners might run things when they reopen in a few weeks. But there is also the other hotel which is nice too.

Glenfinnan is an absolutely special place with breathtaking views. I recommend it heartily !

Thanks Richard! I will be contacting BA to see if I can fly out of DFW a few days earlier. I would love to attend the Games and/or the ceilidh. Fun!

Thanks Kim! I will definitely visit/walk/dine Glenfinnan and may stay there too, if the accommodations are less expensive than Mallaig! What hotel do you recommend? Is it the Glenfinnan House Hotel? It looks lovely. The Walk Highlands site has fantastic info.

Another left field choice to stay is Doune on Knoydart. It is a small hotel by itself a little way from the “main” Knoydart community and is only accessible by its own boat. As a result you can only stay for 3 nights from Saturdays, 4 from Tuesday or the whole week (or multiples of).
https://doune-knoydart.co.uk/

Thank you for the tip John! Doune looks like an amazing place.