Scenic train travel

The major problem is that from Inverness the line goes to and terminates at Kyle of Lochalsh and then you have to connect to Mallaig.

The traditional way of doing that was two fold-
either a ferry on the incredibly scenic coastal run or the bus across Skye.

The ferry is gone 20 or more years ago (I had the huge privilege of doing it in it's last years). However I have done that far more recently on a wonderful little country house style cruise ship- the itineraries vary, but can include Mull/Iona/Oban/Fort William/Inverness via the Caledonian Canal- a wonderful, wonderful trip but very expensive. I still get the brochures, if it wasn't so expensive I would do it again in a heartbeat maybe one of the small isles trips this time. One of those things where if I was told I had a few weeks or months to live one of two trips I would book instantly.

The bus from Kyle to Mallaig can be done, but it is no longer direct. You would change at either Broadford or Portree.

I would highly suggest taking the Citylink bus from Kyle to Portree and have two nights in Portree, hang the expense. On the day of arrival take the afternoon bus to Dunvegan and back.

The next full day take the Trotternish Peninsula circular bus.

Another scenic way to do it is to take the Kyle of Lochalsh to Elgol bus at 1150 off the train, the bus turns at Elgol back to Broadford, then Citylink Broadford to Portree.

The Trotternish and Dunvegan bus trips can be done in a day with a break in between at Portree.

That way Mum has got her dream of Skye in as well.

Mallaig to Oban is a really tough choice on how to do it- either Mallaig to Crianlarich over Rannoch Moor, change. train to Oban; or Mallaig to Fort William, Ember bus or West Coast Motors bus to Oban.
Both are such superlatively good routes.

What I wonder is to take the bus route to Oban, then afterwards the train route back to Fort William with the Crianlarich change and then the Ember Bus or Citylink bus back to Inverness.

Sadly you will no longer find good deals (if you mean cheap) at Mallaig- the big hotel at Mallaig had a fire a few years ago, and put it's prices up hugely afterwards. There are two hostel options at Mallaig, but clearly not appropriate for your Mum.

Another really good option (and better priced) would be to take the Mallaig to Fort William train as far as Glenfinnan. Then either stay at the Glenfinnan Hotel, or the former Sleeping Car at Glenfinnan station.

I don't know if you are aware that there are two rail routes from Edinburgh to Inverness- the direct Highland line and the indirect route via Aberdeen (where you change trains). Of course you could add a night (or two) at Aberdeen (or Stonehaven) to include Dunnotar Castle. Or the wonderful new Ember Bus route Aberdeen to Dundee via Balmoral and Glenshee.

@Stuart, thanks for all the great info! I modified my original post based on new information, but I want to read thru your response a few times because I like some of your ideas, so please don't change your response because of my change to my post--it's good info. I just have to go to bed before its time to get up!

Stuart is entirely right don't miss the run by train up to Fort William.
There's also.accomodation at Corrour the highest and loneliest station in the UK.
A Twotogether railcard will save you a ton of money too.

Thank you, Stuart and Robert.

I will definitely get the two together railcards. My husband and I used it in England. Stuart, you are just a wealth of knowledge!

Regarding the train routes from Edinburgh to Inverness, is one more scenic than the other? It looks like the more direct one follows A9 which initially seems less scenic, but highways can be scenic, too, I guess.

I would love to take the Kyle of Lochalsh train, I wish we would have time for a bit of time on Skye. I guess I could do that if I didn't do Oban. Oban seems easier to visit. The ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh to bus with a transfer to Mallaig sounds like too much in terms of effort and time. I've even considered taking the Kyle of Lochalsh train, just to and back to Inverness. But, the train is 3 hours each direction.

EDITED TO ADD: I've now found that we could take the Kyle of Lochalsh train and then do a 5 hour tour of Skye with Skye tours and then train back to Inverness. This would add a day to the trip.

When possible, I'd like to take trains over buses. I think they'd be more comfortable and there is toilet access.

So this is what I'm thinking:

Edinburgh (1 night)
Train to Inverness (1 night)
Ember Bus to Fort William, train to Mallaig. (stay 1 night in Mallaig, Glenfinnan or Fort William)
Train to Oban (3 nights) West Coast tour of Mull
Edinburgh (3 or 4 nights) Possible day trip to Stirling

I'm going to prioritize lodging close to train stations. In Edinburgh, I'll stay by St. Andrew's square. Not sure in Inverness, the bus pick up is not close to the train station. I might try the Premier Inn which is in between the two.

I'm looking for feedback and then I will present it to my mother.

A few miscellaneous must dos:
See/hear bag pipe players
See the furry cows
Visit shop(s) to look at tartans. My mother's family is "Weir"

In addition to the Two Together Railcard, I recently saw a transit pass that was specific to this part of Scotland. Highland Rover? I thought that was rail and bus, but maybe not. Here's the link:
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/combined-tickets-travel-passes

For Highland Coos on this itinerary your easiest option is probably Swanston Farm on the outskirts of Edinburgh- easily reached by citybus but in this special case maybe a taxi- https://swanston.co.uk/

Bag Pipes- you'll hear them all around Edinburgh. It may be my imagination but I always think Glasgow has even more pipers on the streets than Edinburgh. I'm out of date but there used to be a Ceilidh place on Oban seafront. it's closed, not sure where you go now for a Ceilidh. Sure it's a bit touristy, you're entitled to do that.
I've also heard that Oban High School Pipe Band practice at the taxi rank at Oban Station on a Wednesday evening- but can't confirm.

You will find plenty of tartan shops in Edinburgh!!

In Inverness I can recommend the King's Highway as a hotel- it is part of the Wetherspoons pub and can only be booked direct through them, and is round the corner from Union Street.

In Oban I stay whenever I can at the Royal Hotel. As far as I know it can only be booked direct with Strathmore Hotels, if you can get one of their multi night package deals they are very good value (and very close to the station and ferry terminal)- https://strathmorehotels-theroyaloban.com/

I wasn't going to be so delicate as to mention bathroom access, but certainly Ember have a bathroom on their buses.

I'm actually glad you've found a tour of Skye. Skye Tours I think are the ones who meet you off the morning train at Kyle and guarantee to get you back for the evening train, so that seems a good choice and keeps that dream alive.

The direct rail route, certainly north of Perth, is very scenic- A9 or no A9. The indirect via Aberdeen comes into it's own south of Aberdeen and on it's way through Fife. Differently scenic is the way I would put it, rather than more scenic. If Inverness is one way then just take the direct route.
But be careful to either get the evening LNER or one of the Inter7Cities HST sets, as opposed to the trains which use the 3 car Class 170's, as they can get pretty busy. If on the LNER train then it is a no brainer to upgrade to 1st class and have dinner and wine in the restaurant car- the extra over cost is well worth it, plus you get to use the lounge at Waverley beforehand.
I'm using that lounge in a few weeks time, when I'm doing a short Carlisle to Edinburgh to Carlisle 1st class- it's not one I've been to yet.
If you wanted to go over the Forth Bridge and see the Fife scenery then you could easily do Edinburgh to Dundee and back- it takes 1 hour in each direction.

@Stuart, The Inverness and Oban hotels sound perfect. Are you saying that the meal in 1st class is included in the ticket price? I've been using Scotrail. Should I be looking at the LNER website?

@G3RRY, thanks, there seems to be a few different passes I should price out. Looks like Scotrail has something that is unlimited travel 4 days of 8 days for about 155 GBP. It seems to handle all the trains, but not the Ember bus. I'm not sure its a good deal, however, I'll have to price it all out.

Yes, on LNER the meal is included in the price- their train is the 1633 out of Edinburgh. When you book on the LNER app it tells you which of the 3 menus is being served on that train.

The actual menu items should be changing from winter to spring any time now. Avanti have already changed. LNER and TPE are about to.

Scotrail first class is just a hot drink and a biscuit/shortbread. You used to get a whole basket of snacks, but cutbacks.

Don't forget the 34% two together discount applies in first class, and on Rover tickets as well.

If you plan to spend a night in Fort William, there is a Premier Inn that is only a five minute walk from the train station and bus stop.

Thank you, Frank, we have decided to stay in Fort William. I appreciate the suggestion.

Thanks Stuart, my mom will be so excited to be in first class and served a meal will be over the top! From my perspective, it makes things easier. We won't have to deal with a meal when we get to Inverness.

At Fort William I really like the Alexandra Hotel (another Strathmore hotel)- opposite the station. It's been one of the key hotels of the town for over a century. In small places like Fort William I'm not a fan of the big hotel chains such as Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn etc. If money allows I like to use the local businesses, not the chains. I don't deny they have their place, especially in the big cities but.... (and sometimes, financially, their offer is unbeatable).

Yes, Strathmore are a small family owned chain themselves (mainly in Scotland, but two in England)- but all in historic hotels.

The other one I would like to stay in at Fort William is the Highland Hotel- not suitable for you as it's up a steep hill, and difficult for me as it is a Lochs and Glens hotel (a big bus tour company). Getting a single room on one of their very good but rare tours leaving from my own town is something of a challenge. But my reason is because it was one of the centres of Coastal Command in WW2. The Commandos and SOE in the area are well known, but Coastal Command are one of the largely forgotten stories of Fort William.

I've had plenty of "meals" on LNER services.

Don't expect an "Orient Express" type multi-course dining experience. It's pretty basic but you will have a choice.

Here's current information including a current menu. Choices, of course, may change:

LNER First Class Dining

Depending on the length of the journey, they do come around a few times with the beverage cart. It's all free.

Not sure in Inverness, the bus pick up is not close to the train station.

If you are talking about the Ember bus, their pick up point is on Union Street about 1.5 blocks from the train station.

Citylink also offers frequent service between Inverness and Fort William. It leaves from the Inverness bus station which is next to the train station. (I've taken it.)

Thanks Frank, I looked at Citylink, it does look more convenient. Am I understanding that anyone over 60 is free? Or maybe just Scottish residents?

I looked at the Kyle of Lochalsch train ride, it looks lovely. I thought I was really interested in the 5 hour Skye tour from there. Their tour includes the fairy pools and Quiraing, and I think they both involve some short hikes which I don't think works. So, I'll email to find out more. If I dump the Skye tour, I wonder if I should dump the Kyle of Lochalsch train and free up time elsewhere?

I didn't think Inverness sounded all that interesting, I was thinking of it just as a transit point. However, it looked nice on some videos I saw last night.

I did know the LNER menu would be basic, but still, I think it will tickle mom. I had a chuckle over the bacon roll with ketchup or gravy. I'm sure its probably more exciting than it sounds!

Stuart, I appreciate the hotel suggestions.

Just Scottish residents are free, anyone else pays just £2 (as on any other bus in the Highlands)- those who travel free have Scottish Entitlement Cards/Saltire Cards.

What happens when the £10 million funding pot for the £2 fares runs out is anyone's guess.

Citylink at the moment are staying at every two hours (they should have gone to hourly for the summer), while Ember are hourly. At three buses every 2 hours the route is probably over bussed.

Citylink (or rather Shiel Buses and D and E coaches who run the services) appear to be struggling for drivers as Ember are offering better pay. Citylink are also it seems struggling for trade if their current adverts are anything to go by.

In a few weeks time I'm having both the breakfast menu, and the Dish and Signature menus on LNER several times, likewise on Avanti and TPE in a pretty intensive fortnight, also East Midlands Trains (hopefully) and Transport for Wales. I've timed a London to Edinburgh journey specifically to get the travelling chef Signature Menu (different to the Dish menu).

How many total nights do you have available for this trip?

If you do drop Skye, do you plan on staying in Edinburgh on arrival? Or would you be open to another location about 1 to 3 hours by bus from the airport to recover from your flight and do a bit of sightseeing before moving on.

Perhaps Stirling (castle), Luss (Loch Lomond) or Inveraray (castle and gardens).

Jean, we are spending one night in Edinburgh prior to the train travel to Inverness. I have to talk to my mother and get a feel for what she is most interested in. We haven't purchased airline tickets yet. I'm just trying to figure out maximum impact in the least amount of days that we can comfortably travel at an 89 year old pace. I know we'd take a flight that would arrive Edinburgh about 8am.

My DIL has been suggesting time in Glencoe. I'm not sure how easy that is to do. We could get there via train or bus (can't remember) but that was to the Visitor's center, so not sure how much of the surrounds we'd see. It sounds easy with a car. She said there is just lots to see from the road side pullouts. She presented that as an alternative to Skye. She is also suggesting St. Andrews, but there isn't easy public transportation.

Right now I'm thinking about 9 nights. We will likely go about 6 days after I get back from a 30+ day trip to Ireland. I'm not excited about the timing, but there's a lot of moving pieces and that is what works. The trip would be in October. I can't talk with my mother over the phone so I'm waiting until this weekend to show her a planned itinerary along with a map.

If you decide against Skye, I would reconsider the whole Inverness idea.

With the Glencoe Folk Museum closed and assuming your not hiking, I don't know that you will find enough to do to warrant a couple nights in Glencoe. You will be traveling through the Glencoe Valley area on the West Highland Line.

Here's a possible itinerary that can be done with easy public transportation, allows Mom to see the beauty of Scotland (lochs, glens, coastal towns, Highlands and Islands, castles, ruins, ...) while enroute and at the destination, with easy walks, not hikes.

• Stirling 1 nt, direct bus (under 1 hr) from airport, recover from flight, visit the Castle
• Glenfinnan (5 hr) or Ft. William (4½ hr) 2 nt, train via Glasgow on the West Highland Line, Glenfinnan is a hamlet on a loch with the Glenfinnan Monument, Viaduct, boat trip on beautiful Loch Shiel. Ft. William is a town with the Nevis Range Gondola, West Highland Museum, Neptune's Staircase.
• Oban 3 nt (30 min train from Glenfinnan to Ft. William, then 80 min scenic bus along coast), 2 Island tour to Mull and Iona, Dunollie Castle and Museum, War and Peace Museum, Oban Distillery, Dunstaffnage Castle, possibly Kilmartin Glen
• Edinburgh 3 nt (4 hrs either direct bus or train with easy connections)

You will be traveling through the Glencoe Valley area on the West Highland Line.

Unless the line has been quietly re-routed recently, and/or the Ballachulish branch re-opened the West Highland Line does not route through Glencoe or anywhere near it- it goes over Rannoch Moor, or the Oban branch goes via Loch Awe.

That is why it is often suggested to do both bus and train to/from Fort William.

Rather than go down the coast, it is possible to take the bus(Citylink or Ember) from Fort William to Crianlarich or Tyndrum through Glencoe (90 minute ride) then change to either train or bus at either village. A bit like the West Highland Extension to Mallaig, the Crianlarich to Oban road and rail routes follow the same valley, so the differences exist but are subtle. It is just over an hour on the bus from either to Oban.
If changing bus to bus Tyndrum is the better change point IMO, if changing to train Crianlarich is the better change point, as the bus stops right outside the station (and toilets at the bus stops in both villages).

Sadly the lovely old station tea room at Crianlarich has now closed. With the tea room gone it may be that favours Tyndrum now as the change point to train- just a short walk from bus stop to Tyndrum Lower Station (the Upper Station is on the Fort William line).

From Edinburgh Airport there is the direct Golf Bus (the #787) to St Andrews at 0900, 1045 and then every 2 hours (90 minute journey). St Andrew's would be more logical if you were heading onwards to Inverness, rather than the West Highlands as you could do the bus to Dundee (or Leuchars), then train to Inverness changing at Perth.

Stuart, of course the train has not rerouted. What I was trying to convey, obviously poorly, is that the train takes you through lovely scenery in the area near the Glencoe Valley, not Glencoe itself. She will still get the beauty of the Highlands.

I was hoping to give Jules an idea of what can be seen that would live up to the typical American vision of Scotland (without the Loch Ness monster) and wouldn't be too taxing for an elderly traveler. I'm assuming hikes are out, but easy walks are okay. Sightseeing from a bus, train, ferry or boat on a loch are doable.

While I really enjoy St. Andrews as a lovely town with history, I would prioritize the lochs and landscape of the Highlands.

Thank you Stuart and Jean. I need to do some digging before I really respond to you. I'd be sorry not to go to Inverness, mostly because of the train ride, but also, my DIL has suggested I look into a boat ride on Loch Ness tour to see the castle. I'm also going to look thru Rabbies and see if they have a Glencoe tour leaving from anywhere. Also will check guidebooks for tours from Oban or Fort William.

Also, there is a Rabbies day tour from Edinburgh that goes to Stirling. It also sees Loch Lomond and other places.

Other than tours, I'd like to prioritize train over bus, except when train doesn't do what I need.

Current draft:

Arrive Edinburgh (2 nights) (We arrive at 8am)
Day 1 acclimate
Day 2 tour to Stirling or Glencoe (Rabbies)
Train to Fort William (1 night) (train LNER??
Trains to Oban (Jacobite to Mallaig and back, Western Highland Scenic) (3 nights)
Day 1 ferries to Islands
Day 2 Oban
Train back to Edinburgh (Western Highland Scenic to Glasgow, change) (4 nights)
do sites
day trip to Stirling or Glencoe (Rabbies)

https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/tour/loch-ness-glencoe-highlands-day-tour-from-edinburgh?_gl=1*bbj7tu*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTg5OTMyMTI5LjE3NzY3ODY5OTM.*_ga_CQ6TXTDB4F*czE3NzY3ODY5OTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzY3ODY5OTMkajYwJGwwJGg2NzIyMzA5MzI.

https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/tour/loch-lomond-national-park-stirling-castle-day-tour-from-edinburgh?_gl=1*bbj7tu*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTg5OTMyMTI5LjE3NzY3ODY5OTM.*_ga_CQ6TXTDB4F*czE3NzY3ODY5OTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzY3ODY5OTMkajYwJGwwJGg2NzIyMzA5MzI.

Or, we could do Stirling on our own which would give us time for the castle and the town, but we'd miss Loch Lomond.

I want to be sure to book the Western Highland Routes, not sure how I do it.

What order to do Fort William and Oban? I thought the train ride between the two would be quick, but I think there is an hour connecting. If the train leg from Fort William to Crianlarich is not terribly scenic, maybe it's better to take the bus? I would be taking the train Oban to Glasgow to Edinburgh

Might I need 2 nights in Fort William, If I do that, I might switch Oban to 2.

This is quite a hard case, because it's your Mum, on what I'm guessing is likely to be her only trip to Scotland. So some, or a lot, of the usual advice has to be adapted.
Personally I'm disappointed for her if we can't manage somehow to get her to Skye (and sensibly that means Inverness). But if that boat has sailed so be it.
Sticking to what is suggested above usually the choice of tour would be clear- Stirling, as opposed to Loch Ness.

In this case I'm really, really not sure, is your Mum up to 12 hours on the bus with several stops? If so my gut feeling is that Glencoe and Loch Ness is the one to do. The Loch Ness stop is at Fort Augustus. Unless the boat trip is on the fast RIB I don't think it can get to Urquhart Castle and back in 50 minutes- for better or worse, and it looks like the bus isn't going up there either.

The positive is that Fort Augustus is a nice wee village, the Caledonian Canal is especially attractive there, and you can see a long way north on Loch Ness.
So I think that gives a very good taste of the Highlands.

To Fort William there is only the Scotrail train. While I'm firmly in the anti Jacobite train club, if it is running by then then yes, why not. And I'll go further for this one case (it truly is an exception) and say spend the extra money and go first class, because I want this to be as special and memorable as can be. Yes I do know the 1st class food and beverage offer is rather tokenistic (I've done it, being a miser I felt just a bit cheated). If the Jacobite isn't running then just the normal Scotrail train.

The Loch Shiel cruises are a great idea, logistically they are not that easy to make work without a car or staying overnight at Glenfinnan. You used to be able to go one way to or from Acharacle and bus the other (I've got that teeshirt) but the bus has stopped.

I also think you need 2 nights in Fort William, due to the timings of the Jacobite steam train.

Bear in mind this is October, there is a real chance of ferry disruption so I would want to have at least two full days in Oban to give the best chance of success. I'm not sure the south end of the Isle of Kerrera walk is suitable for her- but the north end with a meal at the Marina is (if Mull/Iona was unviable due to weather).

Yes, the wait between trains at Crianlarich is about an hour because the two trains (north and south) pass each other at Ardlui (closer to Glasgow), so the bus is always faster. The pro tip on a fine day without luggage (and a bit younger) is to get off at Tyndrum Upper and walk down the hill to Tyndrum Lower!

You won't be able to book train tickets until 12 weeks out, so sometime in July. Book through Scotrail due to their split ticket feature.

If and when the Jacobite opens for booking you will probably need to move faster than you do for the Anne Frank House or the Ceremony of the Keys due to pent up demand.

I think Fort William first, then Oban, is the way to do it simply because Oban has twice the train service Fort William does.

PS- the Fort William to Crianlarich part of the line is stunning, as is Glencoe, another reason to do the Loch Ness tour. You really need to do both train and the road through Glencoe, especially if we can't make Skye work.

Thank you so much Stuart, Jean and others that are commenting. Its taken me a while to digest information. The more I talk to people, Skye just doesn't seem worthwhile with mom. I need to stick to places with stunning views we can see from train/bus/overlooks/very short town walks.

• If I'm understanding correctly, the "Jacobite" train doesn't always run the route. I'm not sure we need to do the "Jacobite" train, but definitely do the route.

*I'm concerned now about the ferry possibly not being a viable option to do the ferry/bus trip from Oban. Interested in what people think of this.

*Thanks Stuart for your comments on the Glencoe tour. I considered renting a car for a day in Oban to see Glencoe, but while, we've spent a lot of time lately in countries that drive "on the wrong side", I'm always the navigator, my husband the driver. So, I'd have to be driver and navigator and mindful of mom, so I think the Rabbies tour is a good option.

*I apologize if this has already been answered, but from Fort William to Glencoe, do the bus and train do relatively the same route? I see the Ember bus goes along the Loch. If time permitting, if bus and train do cover different ground, maybe we'd do the bus round trip to Glencoe just as an activity from Fort William? Then we'd be doing train to get to Oban from Fort William.

*Looking at the Stirling tour, it is long, With all due respect, I'm not sure how interested we are in the horses, granted its a short stop. I think we'd enjoy both the Stirling town and the castle so we might be better off doing a day trip which seems easy enough to do.

ADDED:Ugg, I have the worst time formatting with the forum! Also, can anyone tell me how to bold type? Mardee does it and it is very effective.

ADDED:Ugg, I have the worst time formatting with the forum! Also, can
anyone tell me how to bold type? Mardee does it and it is very
effective.

Not sure what device you are using, but on a desktop browser there are formatting tool buttons right above the box you type comments in. If you want to bold, you can surround the text with two asterisks on either side of the words you want bolded. Or if you use a PC, CTRL-B gets you bolded text.

And good luck planning the trip for your mom. I know nothing about Scotland but have similarly-issued future trip planning for my parents. So hard to balance all the things.

Oh my word, CL!!, why its right there. I feel silly

Think of Fort William to Oban as a square- the train goes round 3 sides of the square, the direct bus down the direct 4th side.
Glencoe in very simple terms bisects the square from bottom right to top left basically. So you can go round the top and right hand side square of the square by train, then the bus back to Fort William via Glencoe bisecting the square- as a day trip. There is no road on the right hand side, and no bus on the parallel road on most of the top side (beyond Roy Bridge).
Then bus to Oban from Fort William down the left hand side (which has no rail line) then train Oban to Glasgow on the bottom side of the square- which has a bus on the parallel road.
It's a bit crude, but hope that makes it clearer.

Jules. I think you've made the right decision regarding Skye.

I know Stuart has a better understanding of the ferry situation with CalMac in Oban than I do, but I would be surprised if there were no ferries running between Oban and Mull. The ferry is a lifeline for those who live on Mull. Since you are traveling as foot passengers, you are at an advantage to those who need to reserve car space.

I wouldn't hesitate to book the regular Scotrail train instead of the Jacobite train. Your mother will probably find the seating on the regular train more comfortable. Depending on the time of your departure, you might even see the Jacobite train in the station in Ft. William.

In October the dates to avoid on Mull are October 8 to 11- the Mull motor rally. This year it is back to covering the entire island. The 6 and 7 are build up days, and the 12 is the return day. All sailings will be choc a bloc on those days- 6 to 12 October.
There will also be rolling road closures which will affect all traffic.

Apart from those dates foot passengers never have issues in obtaining tickets assuming the Isle of Mull (or another big ship) is back on the service.

We have to believe that by October the ferry situation on Mull will be back to normal, with the correct ships on the route running the correct timetable. The issue is one of potential weather.

The Jacobite in theory is running every day until the end of October. Due to the well publicised debate about the safety of the doors the start date for the year (the week before Easter) is indefinitely delayed to June/July. If it starts probably only 1 of the daily trips will run.

Stuart, I'm so glad you are in the know. Those days sure do make Oban complicated for me. At least I know now so I can work around.

I fear I am already beyond tedious. Just so I understand correctly. I'm seeing the only way to Fort Williams via train from Edinburgh is the West Highland train, correct? So, we'd be doing that route basically twice. I don't think that's a bad thing, I just want to be crystal clear what I'm doing. I don't see LNER doing that route, correct? I was excited about 1st class for the bathroom, meal and just comfort.

So, if we traveled from Edinburgh to Fort William via train, we could then do bus, Fort WIlliam to Oban which would go along the loch. (Hopefully I'll have figured out how to do Glencoe from Fort William on a day trip, which means we'd do the route along the loch a few times, either via car or bus) Then we'd be in Oban a couple nights or so and take the train back to Edinburgh which would be the West Highland route, change in Glascow.

Re. Oban, not seeing a lot of mom appropriate activities. Of course we'll do the ferry/bus to the islands. I think the little War/Peace museum sounds great, maybe the Distillery minus the tour. It sounds like there are exhibits that there that could be of interest. Mom doesn't like whisky, and I don't like smoky whisky, so it doesn't sound like the place for us. Maybe the castle, we'd need a ride up, and I think she'd only be interested in the views and the clan exhibits. I would like to catch some music and have a atmospheric dinners.

Re. Fort William would be about the train to Mallaig, hopefully tour to Glencoe, and it sounds like they have a West Highland Museum that would appeal. Again, we'd look for some kind of atmospheric meals, some traditional music, hopefully bagpipes. . .

I am quite touched by the help I'm getting in planning this trip for mom. She's still torn about whether she'd be able to manage the trip, though she desperately wants to go.

Yes, from Edinburgh there is only the Scotrail West Highland route (*) to Fort William/Oban- no choice of operator.

So if you train to Fort William and back from Oban you cover the same route twice for the section east of Crianlarich. One way put yourself on the 'inshore' side, the other way on the 'seaward' side of the train.

(*)- the Caveat, not at all suitable for your Mum, is that you can travel in the seated cars of the Caledonian Sleeper between Fort William and Edinburgh (from Edinburgh at 0450, back into Edinburgh at just before 0100). So a bit more luxury- you aren't allowed to use the Club (Dining Car) but can have meals at your seat.

The quintessential thing to do in Oban is McCaigs Tower (a folly) but you would need a ride up there.

If you don't mind teeny weeny planes a great sightseeing flight is the essential air service route from Oban Airport to the islands of Coll or Tiree and back. On a good day the views are out of this world as you fly at low altitude, seemingly wave hopping.

If you wanted a change of route between Glasgow and Edinburgh (albeit a significantly slower train) you can change at Dumbarton on the way back (same platform) into the Helensburgh to Edinburgh half hourly train which calls at Glasgow Queen Street Low Level (not the High Level, used by the West Highland Line and the express trains). Normally I would say change at Helensburgh between the Upper and Lower Stations but that is a bit of a downhill hike- maybe 15 to 20 minutes. So, in this case, unsuitable.

There is another route involving a ferry (bus from Garelochead to Kilcreggan, ferry to Gourock, train Gourock to Glasgow)- a lovely route, but again that is pushing the boundaries too far. It's easy enough, but too much faff.

I'm not a Whisky Connoisseur, but Oban is not a deep peaty Islay style- it is it's own much lighter style, a bit of Islay, but more akin to a lowland style, a lot gentler if that's the word.
The distillery essentially pre-dates most of the town.
I used to enjoy Christmas when I got several bottles of different single malt Whisky (often pretty expensive ones) from my sub-contractors, but then the law changed and that was and is treated as bribery and as taxable gifts (different laws). The whole company was dragged from Manchester and Sellafield to an Edinburgh conference centre to have the riot act read to us about the new law. Ludicrous.

In Fort William I think a good seafood place for dinner is Crannog at Garrison West (used to be down Lochside at the steamer pier), but that's a dangerous game suggesting restaurants.
The other place in Oban for bagpipes is the Northern Lighthouse Board pier (just down the Kerrera road)- whenever the luxury cruise ship 'The Lord of the Glens' is in- the local Pipe Band serenade her off.
In Oban there are a couple of restaurants on the North Pier (the cruise ship pier, not the CalMac Pier) which always look nice, and get good reviews- no experience.
Oban also has a Scottish Episcopal Cathedral tucked away down a side street (the successor to St Moluag's Cathedral on Lismore).

The express trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh do convey first class- and I'm hopefully doing that in a few weeks time just because I have a freebie, but it isn't worth the upgrade- no perks, just slightly better seats and a bit more space.

Just throwing out a couple of ideas for a different return from Oban to Edinburgh.

• Take the scenic afternoon bus to Inveraray (1¼ hrs) on Loch Fyne for an overnight stay. In Invarary with its Georgian architecture, you have the beautiful Inveraray Castle and Gardens (Thursday to Monday only), home of the Duke of Argyll and featured in one of the Downtown Abbey Christmas specials. The next afternoon you could continue by bus along Loch Lomond to Glasgow and connect either by bus or the train to Edinburgh.

• Take the same scenic afternoon bus to Luss (2 hr 10 min) or Balloch (2 hr 20 min) on Loch Lomond for an overnight stay. Take a boat trip on Loch Lomond. The next afternoon continue by bus from Luss to Glasgow and then on to Edinburgh by bus or train or from Balloch take the train to Edinburgh with a connection in Glasgow.

Thank you Stuart, and thank you Jean, interesting ideas that I will look at after I know my exact number of days when I buy my tickets.

At this point, I think of myself as a pretty experienced traveler. Yet, occasionally, I forget to check some of my resources. I've been reading on Seat 61. I apologize for the questions that I asked that I could have found on there! Found a map of the trainlines that is useful. Two questions, does Scotrail and/or LNER take into account split tickets for pricing? I do see a pop up saying something about split tickets, but I'm not clear on what its saying. And, looking at my newly found rail map, I see 3 or 4 different choices to Glasgow from Edinburgh. There's a 228, 224, 226 and one that I don't see a number for thru Shotts. Is anyone more interesting than another? I realize its only a 1 hour train ride, and it might make the purchase more complex, because in most cases, the time is going to matter more than the route, I think.

At this point, I think I'm pretty set in terms of my research, but I'm always open to comments/ideas. I'm going to take mom to get a new passport and discuss the trip with her so she's certain it works for her. She did bail on me a couple years ago.

Jules,
That is the problem with too much information. Route numbers are not used in any public facing way- you will never see them used and railwaymen/people like me use other designators- for instance route 226 is often known as the Blue Trains Route after the former Glasgow suburban trains. It is a long, long time since the trains were blue.
The Glasgow subway is locally called The Clockwork Orange!, and is the only official subway in the UK.
The numbers purely refer to Table numbers in the printed National timetable- a document the public are no longer easily able to obtain. So they are meaningless.
FWIW the Shotts route is 225, Table 226 used to be 226 for the Blue trains as far as Airdie/Drumgelloch (the old terminus) and 237 for Bathgate onwards. Bathgate was a terminus from Edinburgh until recently.
Also West Highland Line trains use the 226 route via Westerton then the 232 Maryhill route to access Queen Street High Level.
The Helensburgh to Edinburgh and Cal Sleeper trains use route 226 via Clydebank to access Queen Street Low Level, other branches of 226 use the Anderston route to access Glasgow Central Low Level and beyond.

Route 225 trains via Shotts use Glasgow Central High Level- there is an hourly very slow all stations, and an hourly semi fast.
There is also a 225 variant from Central High Level which runs via Carstairs every 2 hours or so (not obvious from the maps).
It would not be normal to use route 224 although you can. Equally you can use route 226 to Springburn, then 224 to Falkirk then 230 to Edinburgh, but I don't know why you would in normal circumstances.

Opinions will vary as to which is more interesting. The fastest is 228 via Falkirk High. I vacillate for most interesting between Airdrie/Bathgate (237 to me) or Carstairs (although a 225 variant I call it route 65 because it is normally regarded as the Avanti/Cal Sleeper lowlander route to Euston, or the former LNER route extension from Central High Level to Edinburgh for Kings Cross).

Honestly this has become far, far too technical.

Either use the Express route (228, Falkirk High) or if you changed at Dumbarton you end up on a Bathgate (226/237 route) train.

If you use the ferry to Gourock you will use 219 to Central High Level- then either use a Shotts semi fast or a Carstairs.

Ticketing wise- use the Scotrail website for split ticketing, if it offers you a split ticket (off the West Highland it almost always will) then take it. Just stay on the train at the split point (usually, but not invariably, Dalmuir).
The Golden rule is never ever book a Fort William/Oban to Edinburgh ticket as a single fare. It is always cheaper to split at at Edinburgh. If using any website other than Scotrail (for instance LNER) manually split across Glasgow.

With two exceptions all Glasgow to Edinburgh tickets are valid on any route, any departure, you are way overthinking that.

The exceptions are Cross Country Trains specific Advance tickets on the Central HL via Carstairs route (no-one on this forum will ever use those trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the Lumo specific Advance Tickets on the Queen Street HL to Edinburgh (for Kings Cross). Lumo is currently 1 train a day (soon to be 2), so I don't see why you would ever use it to save a £1 or 2.

A scenic route variant you won't find by googling things or reading guidebooks (but locals know) is from Inveraray take the twice daily service bus #486 to Dunoon (65 minute journey) then the CalMac ferry to Gourock for the train to Glasgow Central.

Changing off Citylink at Balloch is an awful idea- the bus stops at Balloch roundabout. From there it is a fair walk to the boats at Balloch town or Loch Lomond shores.