Glencoe, Mallaig and the Jacobite Steam Train

On another very rainy day, we piled into a small-group tour bus for a day trip through the highlands. Our driver was friendly and entertaining. In spite of the considerable weather challenges, vehicle trouble and intermittent road work, he still managed to keep the tour upbeat. Highlights included Glencoe, the Glenfinnan Monument, Visitor Center and Viaduct, charming Arisaig, the Silver Sands of Morar, the small seaside town of Mallaig, and a ride on the Jacobite Steam Train.

The day started with a beautiful drive the full length of Loch Lomond and on to Glencoe. Glencoe was the site of one of the most shameful events in Scottish history, the massacre of 38 MacDonald men, women and children in 1692. While there are many brutal warring events in the history of Scotland, this one is singled out because it was sanctioned and ordered by the Crown, a murder under trust, carried out by men to whom the MacDonald families had graciously extended hospitality. It is said that the men stayed for several nights in the MacDonalds' homes, accepting their hospitality and socializing with their families. Early one morning, they carried out the slaughter there in the MacDonald homes, some of them killed while still in their beds. The valley is called the "Valley of Tears" to this day. Passing through the Glen, one could not help but feel the solemn quietness. The gray skies and mist-laden hills only added to the feeling of lingering sadness.

On the road from Glencoe to Mallaig, we stopped to see the Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct. The Viaduct is an amazing work of engineering built in 1897. The Silver Sands of Morar along the coastline on the way to Mallaig were not silver that day, but rather slate gray with stormy waters beyond, but the sight was no less beautiful. In Mallaig we stopped for lunch and a bit of shopping before boarding the Jacobite Steam Train (made famous the world over by the Harry Potter movies) back to Fort William. Our final stop for the day was the Drover Inn, established in 1705. A wonderful way to end the day, gathered around a fire, sitting with strangers, listening to the chatter of community and visitor alike. Great day!

 

And just so YOU can experience it, here's a bit of video from the train...