Highland region

The West Highland Railway

Scotland's most famous railway line, and a train journey counted by many as among the world's most scenic, is the brilliantly engineered West Highland Railway, running from Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William. The line is in two sections: the southern part travels from Glasgow Queen Street station along the Clyde estuary and up Loch Long before switching to the banks of Loch Lomond on its way to Crianlarich, where the train divides with one section heading for Oban. The line traverses desolate Rannoch Moor, where the track had to be laid on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes, before swinging into Glen Roy, passing through the dramatic Monessie Gorge and entering Fort William from the northeast.

The second leg of the journey, from Fort William to Mallaig, is arguably even more spectacular, and from mid-June to September one of the scheduled services each day is pulled by the Jacobite Steam Train (departs Fort William 10.20am, departs Mallaig 2.10pm; day return £22; book on 01463/239026). Shortly after leaving Fort William the railway travels along the shores of Locheil and crosses the magnificent 21-arch viaduct at Glenfinnan, where you'll also catch a glimpse of the Jacobite Memorial at the head of Loch Shiel. Not long afterwards the line reaches the coast, where there are unforgettable views of the Small Isles and Skye as it runs past the famous silver sands of Morar and up to Mallaig, where there are connections to the ferry which crosses to Armadale on Skye.

If you're planning on travelling the West Highland line, and in particular linking it to other train journeys (such as the similarly attractive route between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh), it's worth considering one of ScotRail's multi-day rover tickets, details of which can be had from 0845/755 0033, www.scotrail.co.uk.

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