Scotland by rail itinerary

I may be asking the idiot's question - but you do realise there are no trains on the Isle of Skye and you will be dependent on buses? I'm assuming you will catch the train to Mallaig from Fort william and then ferry to Armadale? There is a bus (change at Broadford) to Portree which is possibly the best place to stay.

I'm assuming that you will then catch a bus back to Kyle of Lochalsh for the train to Inverness?

Check out how these times fit in with the Mallaig ferry and also train to Inverness.

The bus service on Skye isn't brilliant and more geared up to getting people to and from work/school than for tourists. Do you have a back up plan for this?

The route is logical and I assume you have sorted out plans for each of the stops and how to achieve them?

Two nights somewhere is only one full day, so I think you have too many short stays and are going to be spending half your time in transit.

Oban is only worth the detour if you plan on going to the islands.

Skye to Inverness is a 5+ hour journey door to door by public transport and most of the sights in Inverness lie to the east.

Personally, I don’t care for Aviemore - there are nicer places to visit IMO.

Hi, Lane,

There is no direct train service between Oban and Fort William. You need to take the bus. You can take the train, but you'd have to head back toward Glasgow, and switch trains at Crainlarich.

The bus doesn't cost too much, but there are only two buses per day, so you'd need to make a reservation.

There is also no train service from Mallaig to Inverness except by transerring at Crainlarich once again, so as Wasleys pointed out, you'd need to depart Skye via the bridge, then take the train from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness. That is a beautiful journey. Be sure to sit on the north side of the train.

West Coast Motors operates the Oban to Fort William bus route. Stagecoach operates the buses on Skye. Service is infrequent, particularly to the more remote areas, but it is still possible to get about most of Skye if you are aware of the schedules. I believe that you can purchase a day pass which will give you unlimited travel for the day. Note that some of the routes do not operate outwith the school days.

Your itinerary looks very interesting. Be sure to bring some waterproof outer garments, as you may be doing some walking!

Best wishes for your holiday. Happy St. Andrew's Day!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: There is not a whole lot to do in Oban, so if you have a full day to spend there, you may want to consider taking a day trip to Mull and Iona, especially as you have a pass for the ferry (you'd still have to pay for the buses on Mull). Another option would be a day trip to Kerrera. The ferry to Kerrera leaves from Gallanach, which is a mile or so south of Oban.

As someone who took a 26-day trip around Scotland via public transportation in 2019, my reaction is similar to Jennifer's: that's an awful lot of short stays. Scotland can be really wet, so when you have only one full day at a location, there's a significant chance that your top-priority activity (if it's outdoors) will be marred by a lot of rain. I didn't go to Fort William, Inverness, Aviemore or Pitlochry, so I have no opinion on them, but I'd eliminate at least one of those stops and redistribute those nights.

Both trains and buses can run infrequently in Scotland, so it's critical to explore the schedules to be sure you aren't overestimating the time you'll actually have at each destination. I used travelinescotland.com for bus schedules but preferred nationalrail.co.uk for rail schedules. The train schedules on travelinescotland sometimes didn't match what I found on the NationalRail website; that made me nervous.

Well, generally I like your plan (noting all the comments previously). Is there a chance you could swing a few more days? If so, you might want to ferry on to Mull (Tobermory?) for a few nights. It’s easily doable by train or bus, ferry and bus from Glasgow. I haven’t stayed in Oban, but Mull is gorgeous. Three nights would be nice. You might even want to do that instead of Oban.

I have stayed in Fort William and I like it. But in this case, unless you are hiking Ben Nevis, you might want to skip Fort William and head on to Skye and give it an extra night. It’s a well-coordinated schedule of ferry, van (bus), train, ferry, bus to get from Tobermory to Broadmore. Sounds complicated but it’s not. You can be in Fort William from Tobermory well before noon if you decided to stay 1 night.

From Skye, I am not familiar with public transportation. But unless you have specific one day itineraries, it seems overkill to stay 2 nights each in Inverness, Aviemore, and Pitlochry. Although Pitlochry is cute, I think I would stay no more than one night if you could arrive midday and stay half the day before heading on to Edinburgh. There are nice things to see by car from Pitlochry, but the town itself takes just a few hours.

I am not necessarily advocating a lot of one night stays but a couple might make sense just because of transportation. I would just advocate more nights in fewer cities.

Thank you for all the great responses.

I didn't mention that this itinerary was prepared by a tour company (https://www.absoluteescapes.com/holidays/scotland-by-train/). I started with their standard tour and asked for a few modifications to come up with the one I posted.

I will use your feedback to ask for some more personalization.

One thing, though, is that I have to assume the itinerary they put together will take into account all train schedules (and I understand that some of the connections will be by bus and ferry).

CHECK EVERYTHING and don't assume they know the person who has drawn up the itinerary has done so. They may well never have visited Scotland or tried to do something like this. We've had tour companies that have put us on flights that don't fly on that day as well as unrealistic journey times!

As everyone else has said, I feel you have too many short stays for the amount of ground you are covering. You are going to be exhausted from rushing around to see the sights you came to see after spending a lot of time on a train to get somewhere. Either take out a stop or two and add the days to the places most important to you, or add more days to your trip so you have more time at each location. When I looked at your itinerary I wondered if it was actually all possible by train. I was going to attempt a train journey a few years ago, but after some research I realized it was going to be impossible and rented a car instead. As others have said, the train only goes near Isle of Skye, you will have to take a bus, taxi or ferry the rest of the way, adding to your travel time ( taking away from sightseeing time). The train from Oban to Fort William is a circuitous four hours, bus is an hour and a half, car is an hour. The train also requires a transfer. The rest of your stops are fairly straightforward by train, but check the schedules yourself, and always try to catch the earliest Tran so you might still have time for touring when you get to the next location.

Lane, I agree with most of the responders here that you have too many short stops/stays. If possible, I would spread them out. I’m not familiar with any of the other islands (I just toured Skye) but I would just put this out there - have you looked into any of the Rabbies multiple day trips leaving from Glasgow or Inverness? There are several that may fit the bill so that you don’t worry too much about public transportation. I highly recommend them - used them twice on my September Scotland trip.

https://www.rabbies.com/en

I'm going to get back to the tour company with some of your input and suggest some alternatives.

Which of these do you think would be preferable?

OPTION 1

• Glasgow: 3 nights
• Oban: 3 nights (with day trips to Mull and Iona and to Kerrera)
• Fort William: 3 nights (with a day trip to Glencoe)
• Isle of Skye: 3 nights
• Inverness: 2 nights
• Aviemore: 2 nights
• Edinburgh: 5 nights (same number of nights as original plan)

OPTION 2

Same as Option 1, but skip Aviemore, and add 3 nights in Dundee and 3 (or maybe just 2) nights in Aberdeen.
(3-4 days longer than the original plan)

OPTION 3
Any tweaks you would suggest to Option 1 or Option 2?

I should say that my goal is to enjoy the culture, scenery, and food. I love walking both in urban settings and in the countryside. And I love seeing historic places, but not looking at historical artifacts in museums. I'm also usually happy seeing castles from the outside; the insides don't usually impress me all that much.

By the way, the tour includes the Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig, the ferry to Armadale, and a taxi to Portree. It also includes a taxi from Portree to Kyle of Lochalsh, where I will pick up the train to Inverness.

I love trains, so for me part of the pleasure will be watching the scenery go by as I travel from place to place.

What are your plans in Fort William, aside from the trip to Glencoe? I haven't been there, so it could be wonderful, but I haven't heard that the town itself is special. I think you could use another day on Skye.

Does their standard tour include transportation ??? If they are driving people around, they would be able to move much more quickly than someone who is relying on trains, ferries, and buses (and you will need buses in additions to the trains and ferries).

I.e. I’m trying to figure out if they are taking your transportation concerns into consideration. I could draw all sorts of routes around Scotland, but in order for them to have any relation to reality ( and public transportation timetables), it takes a lot of research (and some luck — my most recent trip to Scotland in October, i simply had to give up on taking the train — which was perfectly suited for whee I was going — and rent a car, because rail worker were striking. At least i knew before I headed into the wilds and didn't have a way back!) .

Possibly build in an extra day for Inverness so you can do the train trip from Inverness to Thurso - it is a stunning run and very diffeerent to the Kyle of Lochalse/Inverness journey. (The train splits at Georgemass junction with half going to Thurso and half to Wick. We always prefered Thurso to Wick).

Kim:

Yes, the tour is a railway tour. That is the main part of the draw for me. I love riding in trains. It's a great place to meet people, strike up conversation, and enjoy the passing scenery. And far less stressful than driving, especially when traveling solo and needing to be both driver and navigator.

You do raise a valid concern. If there's a possibility of a railway strike (which it seems is always a possibility in the UK), do they offer a backup plan?

wasleys:

I love the idea of taking the train from Inverness up to Thurso. But it appears it's a four-hour ride each way. Seems a long way to go and come back all in one day. You think it's worth it?

Hello again, Lane,

There is not a whole lot to see in either Dundee or Aberdeen. Dundee has the new V&A exhibition, the RRS Discovery, the frigate Unicorn, Verdant Works (a museum devoted to the jute industry), and a couple of very good art galleries. Most of those are in the central area, and you could probably knock them out in a day.

Most of the sights in Aberdeen are outside the city centre. Central sights of interest include Provost Ross's House, which forms part of the Maritime Museum, Marischal College, Footdee ("Fittie"), and a little bit farther from the centre, Duthie Park, with its Winter Gardens, and King's College Aberdeen. The city centre is a fairly depressed area of closed shops and "Poundstretcher" type retailers. This despite the efforts of the Council to bring new business to the city. Union Terrace Gardens has still not reopened.

There are several castles outside the city, most of which are worth visiting. However, you'd need to take buses to get to most of them, or sign up for a castle tour, of which there are many.

I'm not trying to discourage you from your second option. I have always enjoyed visiting both cities, but without a car to get you out of town conveniently, you could pretty much see all of the main central sites of interest in one full day in each city. As Aberdeen and Dundee are on your way from Inverness to Edinburgh, if you take the coastal route, you may want to spend a day in Stonehaven (for Dunnottar Castle), or Arbroath (for the Abbey, the coastal walk, and smokies). That is, if your ticketing permits. If you're running short of tickets, you could pay for an add-on to either town.

Let us know how your plans come along, and what your final itinerary will be. I'm sure that whatever your final itinerary is, you'll end up deviating from it! And always come back here for advice. Most of us have been to Scotland many times, and are always eager to share our itineraries.

Very best wishes for your travels!

Mike (Auchterless)

Lane - oh believe me, I understand, I love trains too. In fact I chose to travel to and from my vacation in Denmark this summer by train both ways from Paris. It had absolutely been my intention to do only trains in October; I already had my tickets purchased. It just wasn't possible to follow my plan due to the strikes (and all I needed to do was get the direct train from Glasgow via Fort William to Glenfinnan and back, a journey I have done a few times before).

There is no direct train service between Oban and Fort William. You
need to take the bus

.And that bus doesn't run on Sundays - as we found out to our loss (of 100 GBP for a taxi) in June this year.

Its years since the trains on the Far North Line split
They go to Thurso first and then back to Georgemas Junction and then onto Wick
I did a return day trip on this line from Dingwall, it was a long day

"wasleys: I love the idea of taking the train from Inverness up to Thurso. But it appears it's a four-hour ride each way. Seems a long way to go and come back all in one day. You think it's worth it?"

YES we made the trip many times and have always enjoyed it, especialy the scenery in the far north across what is described as the Flow Country, possibly one of the most isolated parts of teh country with its flat wet peat bogland. First time was back in 1970 and the diesel broke in the middle of nowhere, 4 miles from the nearest station... We looked out of the window and the driver was gesturing hopelessly at the fireman. No mobile phones or radio connection, so the fireman hada very long to walk to the nearest signal box and call for help. It was several hours before they could get another loco to us to complete the journey. It was the easrly hours of the morning before we got back to Inverness. Definitely a trip to remember.

If there's a possibility of a railway strike (which it seems is always a possibility in the UK), do they offer a backup plan?

who do you mean by "they"? If you are paying for this tour company to get you around I would assume that they have to keep you moving somehow to stay on schedule... If you mean, do the rail companies provide alternate transportation, the answer is absolutely not.

Dundee is a good base for seeing St. Andrews. I especially liked the V&A Design Museum in Dundee.

Rail is the fastest way from Dundee back down to Edinburgh, but one can string together two or three buses in order to make stops in East Neuk villages. I'm not aware of luggage-storage options, though, so that means wearing, carrying or rolling your luggage while you walk around.

OK, I have an updated itinerary, thanks to you all urging me to take more time. I've added a lot of time so I have mostly 3+ night stays.

• Glasgow: 3 nights
• Loch Lomond: 3 nights (probably Balloch)
• Oban: 3 nights (day trips to Mull and Iona and to Kerrera)
• Fort William: 3 nights (day trips, hikes, etc.) (I'll either take the bus from Oban to Fort William or the train from Oban to Crianlarich and transfer there to Fort William)
• Skye: 4 nights (Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig, then ferry to Armadale, then taxi to Portree)
• Inverness: 2 nights (Taxi from Portree to Kyle of Lochalsh, then train to Inverness)
• Aviemore: 3 nights
• Pitlochry: 3 nights (possible day trips to Dunkeld and Stirling)
• Dundee: 3 nights
• Edinburgh: 5 nights

I asked the company that's putting together the itinerary for me about train schedules. They said they base the itinerary on all the available routes and schedules. They'll provide me with timetables so I can choose specific trains. They also have a 24-hour emergency contact phone number, so if there is any disruption (like a strike), they can help me make alternative arrangements.

auchterless
Thanks for your thoughts about Aberdeen and Dundee. I decided to drop Aberdeen but keep Dundee. Even if I run out of sights to see, I'm happy to have some light days. And I might take a day trip to St. Andrews. I don't care a whit about golf, but I understand the town and the university are beautiful.

kim
I am sorry your train plan didn't materialize. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

l.p.enersen
As the schedule stands, I'll be traveling from Oban to Fort William on a Friday.

wasleys
I will think about that train trip to Thurso. With only one full day in Inverness, it might not work out, but you never know. Maybe I can consider subtracting a day elsewhere and adding it to Inverness.

acraven
My contact at the tour company recommended a few activities in Fort William: hike to Steall Falls, take a cruise on Loch Linnhe, and visit theNevis Distillery. Plus I am going to look into finding a guide who can take me to Glencoe.

everyone
Thank you so much for your input. I'd love to hear your thoughts about my expanded itinerary.

This may be the idiot's question - but you do know the Jacobite Steam Trip is a return trip, and they do not offer one way tickets?

The alternative is to take a 'normal' train which runs along the same route at a fraction of the cost, and book a single ticket from Fort Willaim to Mallaig.

Hi again, Lane,

You don't have to make the return trip. However, the cost of a one way advanced fare (single) on ScotRail is about 1/8th the cost of the cheapest round trip fare on the Jacobite. Does the Spirit of Scotland pass cover the Jacobite?

You could save a good bit of money by taking the Stagecoach bus from Armadale to Portree. Check the Stagecoach schedule to see if there is a bus which meets your particular ferry from Mallaig. Some buses terminate at Broadford, in which case you'd have to transfer to a CityLink bus from Broadford to Portree. You could also take the CityLink bus from Portree to Kyle of Lochalsh, thereby saving yourself even more money. That said, going by taxi is a lot faster, but you need to call ahead to book a taxi, as there is limited service on Skye.

There are several videos on YouTube which will show you things to do and see in Dundee. Also, if you have the opportunity to watch the British crime drama Traces, many of the exterior shots were filmed in Dundee. Traces is currently showing on BritBox, which is running a free trial week.

I'd recommend the Premier Inn in Dundee, which is next to Discovery Quay. It's close by the train station, and right next to the RRS Discovery and the V&A, and a short walk into central Dundee, where there are art galleries, museums, and restaurants. There is also a Tesco supermarket within a short walk for those late night snacks. The Premier Inn does offer breakfast at an additional charge, or you can walk uptown for breakfast at one of the many cafes and coffeeshops. Ask for an upper floor room overlooking the Tay.

I like the new itinerary!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

"Does the Spirit of Scotland pass cover the Jacobite?"

Checking the spirit of Scotland website, there is no mention of the Jacobite Steam Train on it, so you would be paying to use this. It is run by West Coast Railways who are an independent Train Operating Company which specialises in operating charter trains.

Unless you desperately want to do the trip behind a steam loco, then use the normal service. Views may be better from t4he more modern coaches too.