THE WEST HIGHLAND LINE

On this scenic touring journey, you can take a trip through Scottish history

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IT'S A TRIP OF only five and a half hours, but the 164-mile-long (264km) journey from Glasgow to the fishing port of Mallaig is spectacular. Construction of the railway line here began in 1889, with the aim of linking Glasgow to Fort William, but the work was not without its challenges as it crossed remote parts of the windy Highlands, and the line was not completed until 1894.

Conditions were harsh, cold, and lonely – 37 navvies died in just four years. The line was later extended to the coast, and the link to Mallaig opened in 1901. After leaving behind the tenements, art galleries and stone streets of Glasgow, the train winds along the 'bonnie banks' of lovely Loch Lomond – Britain's largest body of fresh water – then chugs on to Crianlarich, where a branch line runs to Oban.