The West Highland Line (Scottish Gaelic: Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking the fishing port of Mallaig on the west coast to Glasgow. Passenger services on the line are operated by First ScotRail, primarily between Glasgow and Mallaig. However, a through sleeper train service operates from London Euston to Fort William. It was originally built by the North British Railway. Queen Street Station is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and is Glasgows second main line terminus. ... Dalmuir railway station is a railway station serving the Dalmuir area of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. ... Dumbarton Central railway station is a railway station serving the town of Dumbarton in the West Dunbartonshire region of Scotland. ... Helensburgh Upper railway station serves the town of Helensburgh on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, near to Glasgow, United Kingdom. ... Garelochhead railway station is a railway station serving the village of Garelochhead, on the Gare Loch, in Scotland. ... Arrochar and Tarbet railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line in Scotland. ... Ardlui railway station is a remote rural railway station, serving Ardlui at the north end of Loch Lomond, in Scotland. ... Crianlarich railway station is a railway station serving the village of Crianlarich in Scotland. ... Tyndrum Upper railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. ... Tyndrum Lower railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. ... Bridge of Orchy railway station is a railway station in the village of Bridge of Orchy on the west coast of Scotland. ... Dalmally railway station is a railway station serving the village of Dalmally, near Loch Awe in Scotland. ... Rannoch railway station (Ordnance Survey grid reference NN422578) serves the area of Rannoch in Perth and Kinross. ... Loch Awe railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochawe, on the banks of Loch Awe, in western Scotland. ... Corrour station is a railway station on the West Highland Line, Scotland. ... Falls of Cruachan railway station is a railway station located at the foot of Ben Cruachan in Scotland. ... Tulloch railway station is a rural railway station in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Taynuilt railway station is a railway station serving the village of Taynuilt in western Scotland. ... Roy Bridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Roybridge in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Connel Ferry railway station is a railway station serving the village of Connel in western Scotland. ... Spean Bridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Spean Bridge in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Oban railway station is the railway station serving Oban in Scotland. ... The platforms at Fort William, viewed from the doorway to the concourse area in June 2005 Fort William railway station is a railway station serving the town of Fort William in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Banavie railway station is a railway station serving the village of Banavie, near Fort William, in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Corpach railway station is a railway station serving the village of Corpach in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Loch Eil railway station is a railway station on the northern bank of Loch Eil in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Locheilside railway station is a railway station on Loch Eil in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Glenfinnan railway station is a railway station serving the village of Glenfinnan in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Lochailort railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochailort in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Beasdale railway station is a railway station serving Glen Beasdale in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Arisaig railway station viewed from the rear of The Jacobite service en-route to Malaig Arisaig railway station is a railway station in the village of Arisaig on the west coast of the Highland region of Scotland. ... Morar railway station is a railway station serving the village of Morar in the Highland region of Scotland. ... The Jacobite steam train arrives into Mallaig station Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the village of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... First ScotRail is the brand under which First Group PLC runs its railway franchise to operate all domestic passenger services within Scotland, as well as the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London, England. ... Facade of Euston Station, London Euston Arch: the original Euston Station, as enlarged, ca 1851 Euston station concourse Euston station (also known as London Euston), is a large railway station in Central London. ... Fort William from Loch Linnhe Fort William is the largest town in the western Scottish Highlands (in the Highland unitary authority), and a major tourist centre. ... The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping in 1923. ...

A Class 156 "Super-Sprinter" at Oban station on 25th June 2005.

The West Highland Line crossing Rannoch Moor north of Rannoch station

Since the great improvements to Scottish trunk roads in the 1980s, the train journey can take significantly longer than the equivalent road journey. The line takes a circuitous route that brings it into Fort William from the north-east. Most of the line is single track and up trains must wait at stations where the track is dual for down trains to pass. Over much of the Rannoch Moor section the speed limit is 30 mph to avoid damage to the foundations of the track which float on top of the boggy ground. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 666 KB)BR Class 156, no. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 666 KB)BR Class 156, no. ... Class 156, no. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 594 KB) The West Highland Line, looking north from [[w:Rannoch railway station|] in Perth and Kinross. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 594 KB) The West Highland Line, looking north from [[w:Rannoch railway station|] in Perth and Kinross. ... Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 30 square miles (78 km²) of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in the Watsonian Vice County of Mid Perth and the County of Perthshire, in Scotland. ... Rannoch railway station (Ordnance Survey grid reference NN422578) serves the area of Rannoch in Perth and Kinross. ... Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 30 square miles (78 km²) of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in the Watsonian Vice County of Mid Perth and the County of Perthshire, in Scotland. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ...

Shortly after leaving Queen Street Station in Glasgow, and beyond the Cowlairs Tunnel, the line follows a northwesterly course through the suburbs of Maryhill and Kelvindale. Between Anniesland and Dumbarton, the route is shared with the North Clyde Line before branching northward towards Garelochead and emerging alongside the northwesterly shores of Loch Lomond; the section where the WLH is generally accepted to "begin proper". Significant points on the journey include Crianlarich, an important Highland junction of both road and rail, and Tyndrum, the smallest place in Scotland to boast two railway stations. After Tyndrum, the line climbs onto the Rannoch Moor. In winter, the moor is often covered with snow, and the deer may be seen running from the approaching train. The station at Corrour on the moor is one of the most remote stations in Britain. Carrying on northwards, the final stop before Fort William is Spean Bridge. Queen Street Station is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and is Glasgows second main line terminus. ... Maryhill is a residential district in the northwest of the City of Glasgow. ... Kelvindale is a district in the west of the city of Glasgow in Scotland. ... Anniesland is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. ... Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ... The North Clyde Line (sometimes called the North Electric line) is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. ... Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (pronounced LOW-mond) (Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a Scottish loch located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. ... Crianlarich is a village in Stirling, Scotland. ... Tyndrum is a small village in in Scotland. ... Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 30 square miles (78 km²) of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in the Watsonian Vice County of Mid Perth and the County of Perthshire, in Scotland. ... Corrour station is a railway station on the West Highland Line, Scotland. ... Spean Bridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Spean Bridge in the Highland region of Scotland. ...

The sleeper train terminates at Fort William, but the true glory of the West Highland Line is yet to come. The section between Fort William and Mallaig passes over a magnificent viaduct at Glenfinnan, through Arisaig with its fine views of the Small Isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna, and the sparkling white sands of Morar before coming to Mallaig itself. "The Jacobite" steam locomotive-hauled train operates over this section in summer. About half-way along the picturesque Scottish West Highland Railway line between Fort William and Mallaig lies Glenfinnan station. ... Arisaig is a small village in the Highlands on the west coast of Scotland. ... The Small Isles are a group of islands considered part of the British Isles, lying in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. ... Rùm (a Scottish Gaelic name which is usually anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. ... Island of Eigg, as seen from a ferry An Sgurr Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. ... Muck is the smallest of the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. ... Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. ... Morar is a small village in the Scottish Highlands, with a population of 257 [1]. It lies on both the West Highland Main Line and the A830 Road to the Isles, between Fort William and Mallaig. ... West Coast Railway Company (WCRC) is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire. ... Great Western Railway No. ...

The railway is signalled using the Radio Electronic Token Block, controlled from the signal box near Banavie Station.

The route in detail

Places served along the route from Glasgow Queen Street are listed below. Sleeper services to Fort William start, however, at Edinburgh Waverley. Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... Waverley Station, from the Scott Monument. ...

The Jacobite steam train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct

Arisaig railway station is the most westerly in mainland Great Britain

Mallaig is the northern terminus of the line and departure point for ferries to Skye

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West Highland Line

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 614 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 614 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... View from the Jacobite steam train in typical weather conditions. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 615 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 615 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... Arisaig railway station viewed from the rear of The Jacobite service en-route to Malaig Arisaig railway station is a railway station in the village of Arisaig on the west coast of the Highland region of Scotland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 621 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 621 KB) Please see User:Thryduulf/Relicensing if you wish to use this image under a different license. ... The Jacobite steam train arrives into Mallaig station Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the village of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. ... looking towards Quiraing, Skye. ... Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Queen Street Station is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and is Glasgows second main line terminus. ... Dalmuir is a small town in Scotland, home to the naval contruction yard of the William Beardmore and Company shipbuilding company from Glasgow Category: ... Dalmuir railway station is a railway station serving the Dalmuir area of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. ... Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ... Dumbarton Central railway station is a railway station serving the town of Dumbarton in the West Dunbartonshire region of Scotland. ... Helensburgh (Baile Eilidh in Gaelic) is a Scottish town historically part of Dunbartonshire, but since local government reorganisation in 1995 in Argyll and Bute, on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde. ... Helensburgh Upper railway station serves the town of Helensburgh on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, near to Glasgow, United Kingdom. ... Garelochhead is a small town situated on the Gare Loch in Scotland. ... Garelochhead railway station is a railway station serving the village of Garelochhead, on the Gare Loch, in Scotland. ... Arrochar is a village located near the head of Loch Long in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... Tarbet is a village in Dunbartonshire, Scotland. ... Arrochar and Tarbet railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line in Scotland. ... Ardlui is a hamlet in Argyll and Bute. ... Ardlui railway station is a remote rural railway station, serving Ardlui at the north end of Loch Lomond, in Scotland. ... Crianlarich is a village in Stirling, Scotland. ... Crianlarich railway station is a railway station serving the village of Crianlarich in Scotland. ... Tyndrum is a small village in in Scotland. ... Tyndrum Lower railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. ... Dalmally railway station is a railway station serving the village of Dalmally, near Loch Awe in Scotland. ... Loch Awe is a large body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... Loch Awe railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochawe, on the banks of Loch Awe, in western Scotland. ... Falls of Cruachan railway station is a railway station located at the foot of Ben Cruachan in Scotland. ... Taynuilt railway station is a railway station serving the village of Taynuilt in western Scotland. ... Connel Ferry railway station is a railway station serving the village of Connel in western Scotland. ... View of Oban from Druim Mor. ... Oban railway station is the railway station serving Oban in Scotland. ... Tyndrum is a small village in in Scotland. ... Tyndrum Upper railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum in Scotland. ... Bridge of Orchy is a landmark hamlet in Argyll, Scotland. ... Bridge of Orchy railway station is a railway station in the village of Bridge of Orchy on the west coast of Scotland. ... Loch Rannoch is a large body of fresh water in Perthshire, Scotland. ... Rannoch railway station (Ordnance Survey grid reference NN422578) serves the area of Rannoch in Perth and Kinross. ... Corrour station Corrour railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line, Scotland. ... Corrour station is a railway station on the West Highland Line, Scotland. ... Tulloch railway station is a rural railway station in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Roy Bridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Roybridge in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Spean Bridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Spean Bridge in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Fort William from Loch Linnhe Fort William is the largest town in the western Scottish Highlands (in the Highland unitary authority), and a major tourist centre. ... The platforms at Fort William, viewed from the doorway to the concourse area in June 2005 Fort William railway station is a railway station serving the town of Fort William in the Highland region of Scotland. ... West Coast Railway Company (WCRC) is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire. ... Banavie railway station is a railway station serving the village of Banavie, near Fort William, in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Corpach railway station is a railway station serving the village of Corpach in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Loch Eil (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Iall) is a sea loch in Lochaber, Scotland that opens into Loch Linnhe at Fort William. ... Loch Eil railway station is a railway station on the northern bank of Loch Eil in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Locheilside railway station is a railway station on Loch Eil in the Highland region of Scotland. ... About half-way along the picturesque Scottish West Highland Railway line between Fort William and Mallaig lies Glenfinnan station. ... Glenfinnan railway station is a railway station serving the village of Glenfinnan in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Lochailort railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochailort in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Beasdale railway station is a railway station serving Glen Beasdale in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Arisaig is a small village in the Highlands on the west coast of Scotland. ... Arisaig railway station viewed from the rear of The Jacobite service en-route to Malaig Arisaig railway station is a railway station in the village of Arisaig on the west coast of the Highland region of Scotland. ... Morar is a small village in the Scottish Highlands, with a population of 257 [1]. It lies on both the West Highland Main Line and the A830 Road to the Isles, between Fort William and Mallaig. ... Morar railway station is a railway station serving the village of Morar in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. ... The Jacobite steam train arrives into Mallaig station Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the village of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. ... Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is a station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line in the village of Kyle of Lochalsh in the Highlands, northern Scotland. ... Armadale castle and gardens Armadale is a village on the Sleat Peninsula of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. ... looking towards Quiraing, Skye. ... The Small Isles are a group of islands considered part of the British Isles, lying in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...