My dad and I took the West Highland Line of Scotland on a stunning one-day journey alongside the west coast of Scotland.

of Scotland West Highland Line There are two routes departing from Glasgow: a 3 1/2-hour one goes to Oban, and a 5 1/2-hour one to Mallaig, stopping at Fort William, a couple of four-hour journey.

Each routes run via the north Loch Lomond and the Trossaux National ParkIt’s stated to cross mountains, glens and lochs earlier than forking over a village. actionalrich, referred to as Rekha One of the most beautiful train journeys On this world.

My dad and I took the brief lower to Oban, a surprising fishing and yacht port, and purchased tickets train line, The day’s return was solely £25 every approach, or about $31 per individual, and would most likely have value much less if I might purchased them upfront.

How was our journey right here?

Our day started with a go to to Glasgow Queen Road, one of the metropolis’s main transport hubs.

Glasgow Queen Street It’s in the middle of the metropolis, surrounded by a metro station, bus station and a civic plaza.

Once we stepped inside the station, we handed by carts promoting espresso, tea, and pastries. We determined to not replenish for the journey as most Scottish trains have tea trolleys.

I did not fear about shopping for tickets at the station as I had already purchased them on-line. Fortunately, I used to be in a position to decide on our seats, whether or not we needed to be in a quiet or common automobile, and determine if we needed spots with retailers.

Solely half the prepare was going to Oban so we made certain we had been in the proper seats.

Once we boarded the prepare, we discovered our reserved seats, which had been labeled with our departure station, Glasgow Queen Road, and our last cease, Oban.

There was a lot of room on the prepare, and we had been pleased with our seats.

Throughout the reserving course of, I selected two seats dealing with the course of journey with a desk in entrance. The 2 seats in entrance of us had been empty.

The prepare left from my hometown of Glasgow and ran alongside the banks of the River Clyde.

After leaving the station the prepare adopted the River Clyde, which passes via Glasgow. stopped to select up passengers at dalmuirA station in West Dunbartonshire, earlier than leaving the metropolis behind.

Subsequent, we handed Dumbarton, a city was the capital of the ancient kingdom referred to as Strathclyde.

Dumbarton Rock, a volcanic plug that looms above the city, was seen on the left aspect of the prepare. we may additionally see clearly Dumbarton CastleA former fort and royal residence, on prime of a cliff.

About 45 minutes into the journey, we handed Helensburgh, the place the River Clyde opens as much as Gare Loch.

Lower than an hour after leaving Glasgow, we arrive at Helensburgh, a phenomenal coastal city on Gare Loch recognized for its attention-grabbing structure.

The prepare traversed the northern shores of Gare Loch, and my dad and I gazed out the window at the glistening sky. The railway banks had been full of ferns, ivy and rhododendrons.

We hoped to catch a glimpse of a grey seal, porpoise, or bottlenose whale, though our go to did not technically happen throughout whale-watching season, which June to September,

As the prepare handed Loch Lengthy, waterfalls tumbled down the mountains.

Arochar and Tarbet are just one 1/2 miles aside, however the two villages are at completely different ends. Arochar is on Loch Lengthy, and Tarbet is on Loch Lomond.

We continued strolling alongside the shore of Loch Lomond. I’ve all the time beloved this finish, as a result of it begins 14 miles north of the place I grew up. My household and I typically used to swim and picnic there. The views on our solution to Ardlui, a hamlet at the head of Loch Lomond, had been some of the prettiest views of the journey.

the prepare proceeded north and handed Loch Lomond and the Trossaux National ParkScotland’s first nationwide park.

Once we reached Kriannalrich, the entrance half of the prepare took a distinct route than the again half.

Once we reached Kriannlarich, a bustling village standard amongst climbers and climbers, few folks bought off.

The constructing between the north and south railway tracks is a lovely tea house Serving a hearty breakfast, bacon rolls, sturdy cups of tea, and Tunnock’s teacakes, a Scottish biscuit with marshmallows and chocolate.

This was additionally the time for the entrance of the prepare to proceed to Oban and the rear of the prepare in the direction of Fort William and Mallaig.

The great distance leads north over Mallaig glenfinnan viaduct, a bridge well-known for its look in the Harry Potter movies. additionally surpasses great moor of rannoch and goes on glenco,

I might been to Tyndrum as a child, so passing by it on the solution to Oban was a deal with.

From Crianlarich, the subsequent part of the prepare heads northwest via Strath Fillan to Tyndrum, a valley with dramatic mountains that rise above Glen Flooring.

I spent a lot of my childhood in the tiny village of Tyndrum, so my dad and I had been glued to the home windows, declaring every acquainted twist and switch of the river west highland wayA climbing route that covers a distance of 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William, a suburb of Glasgow.

As the prepare left Tyndrum, we noticed Ben Louis, a particular, bowl-topped mountain, on the left.

Dalmeli is the most attention-grabbing station on the line for my part, as it is usually a quaint inn.

Dalmally is a functioning railway station with a correct platform, however this is also an inn,

The Victorian-era construction homes visitor rooms—which was animal pens, ready rooms, and mail rooms—proper on the prepare platform.

Oban has lovely bays, coves and seashores.

Oban is beautiful, compact and walkable. strolling on the pier, passing by Oban DistilleryAnd consuming fish and chips, we noticed quite a bit in the three hours between our trains.

We stocked up on tea and snacks for the return journey and had been again at the station 25 minutes earlier than departure.

The prepare doorways opened 20 minutes earlier than our departure, however we skilled a 30-minute delay.

The prepare was briefly delayed, as a northbound prepare needed to wait half-hour for a bit of the single monitor to be cleared.

Fortunately, this time there was a tea trolley on the prepare, and each time it ran into our seats I bought a cup of tea. We once more sat on the left aspect of the prepare in order that we may see the landscapes we missed alongside the approach.

It bought darkish in the final hour of our journey. My dad was napping, and I used to be flipping via {a magazine}.

We had been again in Glasgow solely 10 hours after we left.

We might undoubtedly do that journey once more. It was a lot simpler than battling site visitors on the Loch Lomond aspect, and did not take for much longer than being in a automobile.

In our future journeys, we’ll get off and discover a couple of stations alongside the approach, or we’ll keep in a single day in Dalmali. And if the trolley man does not come once more, we’ll get our personal tea.