West Highland Line, Glasgow to Mallaig
The journey from Glasgow to Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands is one of the most scenic in the world, leaving behind the bustle of industrial Glasgow for the wild west of Scotland. The breathtaking route recently appeared on Channel 5’t
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Ius The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys, piquing more interest than ever before. Taking the famous West Highland Line, the train trundles out of the city and along the River Clyde, venturing north through cinematic landscapes. Highlights include the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, the Rannoch Moor with its wild red deer and heather and the port of Mallaig itself – the train’s terminus. The whole journey takes just 5hours30mins, and for the lover of true remote wilderness, this is the journey for you.
You can book train tickets from Glasgow to Mallaig here on Trainline.com.
Prices from: £38
Departing from: Glasgow Queen Street, Scotland
Journey length: 5hours24mins
West Highland Line route
The journey between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig is 5 hours, 24mins, and on an average weekday there are six trains travelling the route. It’s truly a spectacular journey, leaving the bustle of the city behind and heading into a world of wild moors, steep-sided lochs and mountains. It doesn’t take long to get out of Glasgow, and the train heads west along the River Clyde to Helensburgh, before heading north via Gare Lochhead and Loch Long. The line then divides in Crianlarich and carries onwards to Mallaig, past the wilds of Rannoch Moor, Ben Nevis and the shores of Lochs Eilt, Ailort and Nan Uamh. On arrival in Mallaig passengers can often see the Isle of Skye, which is just a short ferry trip away from the port.
The train
The train itself is operated by ScotRail and is clean, comfortable and modern. A menu of drinks and snacks us available to purchase on board which includes lots of Scottish produce like Stoats porridge, Tunnock’s wafers, Mackie’s crisps, Irn-Bru, Brewdog beers, and spirits from Dunnet Bay Distillery. There is free wi-fi on the train and passengers can take up to three pieces of luggage.
What we love
We love the stark change of scenery from cosmopolitan Glasgow to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, and the fact the train ventures past scenery often only seen from the window of a train. It’s also a great way to begin a Highlands adventure, and we recommend taking a ferry from Mallaig to Skye.