Road to the Isles

The original Road to the Isles referred to tracks further north than the present A830, but was also road(s) from the isles - meaning the old cattle droving roads from Skye to the main markets in central Scotland. This romantic title is now applied to the Fort William to Mallaig road - its 45 miles (72km) one of Scotland's most scenic routes. It runs mostly on a single carriageway (two-lane highway) with only a short single track (single lane) section. (source : www.visithighlands.com)

we started our journey northwest bound after breakfast at around 10am; which is quite normal for us because we just want to take it easy. furthermore that morning it was slightly overcast with light mist but weather was  supposed to turn sunny in the afternoon in Mallaig.

from glencoe, we drove north on A82 towards Fort William and head west on A830, passing Loch Eil and Glenfinnan, stopped for a few minutes at Arisaig before arriving in Mallaig which lies at  the end of  "Road to the Isles".

we spent few hours walking around Mallaig (which is just a small town), had fish and chips for lunch.

Mallaig is  also the terminus for the West Highland Railway from Fort William and the focus for a network of ferry services to Skye, to the Small Isles, and to the Knoydart peninsula. it is a working port and  is somewhere that will be visited sooner or later by most travellers to the Highlands, and whether you arrive by road, rail or boat, you find a large village of great character in a simply stunning setting. (source : www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk)

on the way back to Glencoe, we stopped at the parking bay by Loch nan Uamh near Lochailort.  At the head of Loch nan Uamh, three miles west of Lochailort, is the Loch nan Uamh or Gleann Mama Viaduct. This is an eight arch viaduct made of "Concrete Bob" McAlpine's favourite material (source : www.undiscoveredscotland)

and of course, Glenfinnan shouldn't be missed.

 

Glenfinnan lies at the head of Loch Shiel, which stretches south west for twenty miles to Acharacle, where it fails by a mere two miles to meet the sea.  It was at Glenfinnan that Bonnie Prince Charlie first raised his standard on 19 August 1745 in his ill-fated but so very nearly successful attempt to place the Stuarts back on the thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland (source : undiscovered Scotland)

 

it took a bit of uphill walking behind the tourist information centre to get to this spot so that we can get good views of the glenfinnan monument & loch shiel and also the viaduct

 

the Glenfinnan Viaduct  is 416 yards long and made up of 21 arches, the tallest of which is 100ft high. What is less obvious from a distance is that the viaduct is also curved, leading the track round the head of the River Finnan valley.  this viaduct was featured in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets