Mallaig & Road to the Isles
On the day trip on The Jacobite (Harry Potter) steam train, there's a two hour break in Mallaig before returning to Fort William. Mallaig is a charming seaside town with seafood restaurants, snack bars, cold drinks and ice cream.
Mallaig -
Walk around the harbor - From the train station, follow the sidewalk around East Bay. At Mallaig Viewpoint are picnic tables, and on a clear day, the offshore island of Eigg is visible. On the way back, stop for an ice cream at Mallaig Visitor Centre or Harbour Shop.Circular Trail - From the East Bay car park, follow the trail going up the hill, lovely walk with wildflowers and bubbling streams, 3.2 km.Whale watching cruise - June to September, go on a one hour Sea.Fari boat trip to look for humpback whales. On the cruise you're likely to see porpoises, seals, dolphins, and many sea birds such as puffins, gannets and cormorants.Road to the Isles -
If you're driving to the Isle of Skye, one route is to take the "Road to the Isles" from Fort William to Mallaig, and the ferry from there to Skye. Two places to stop along the way:
Glenfinnan - From the Glenfinnan train station, follow the Viaduct Trail (1.4 km) the Glenfinnan viaduct, and watch the trains going by.Take a detour to Arisaig to play on the "silver sands," or watch the sunset over the water. Also, April to September, sail to the islands of Eigg, Muck and Rum (love those names).
