AN EXCURSION

To celebrate my retirement my sisters gave us a voucher for a trip on the steam railway from Fort William to Mallaig and back.  We eventually managed to do the trip on 23 July this year.  I thought I would confine posting to that trip today.  The weather was very kind to us that day, and everything worked out very well.

 

The first part of the route is by Loch Eil, a sea loch extending west from Loch Linnhe.

 

After a brief run inland, continuing west, you reach Glenfinnan.  This used to be famous as the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in the '45 rebellion, when he tried to regain the throne for his father, James VII and II.  (That means 1745, and James VII of Scotland and II of England).

It's now famous because the Hogwarts Express crossed the Glenfinnan Viaduct in some Harry Potter films. 

 

After a few inland miles Loch Eilt, a freshwater loch appear on your right.  

But very soon you are back to the end of the sea loch, Loch Ailort .

Some of the Inner Hebrides - the islands to the west of Scotland - come into view.

Then you reach the port of Mallaig, from which the ferry goes to Skye, while there are many boat trips around the Sound of Sleat.  (We just had a walk round the town and harbour.)

The train ready to return.  It has to go backwards.

I think that must be Skye.  There's a song about Charlie's escape, "Over the Sea to Skye".

Ben Nevis comes into view as we approach Fort William again.

View of "The Ben"; often the top is in cloud; we climbed if nearly 40 years ago.

Back to Loch Linnhe.