This is a very popular tourist destination in Scotland. How should we describe it... It is a wild and rugged version of Lake District. Roads get narrower and and more winding after passing Skye bridge. The views are amazing, the terrain makes you feel how small you really are.
Driving is probably the best way to get around this place. But we don't recommend driving all the way from Edinburgh/Glasgow to Portree (the capital and largest town in Isle of Skye) in one go. There are a lot to see between the Scottish cities and the town, especially Glencoe.
We started from Glasgow in the morning, went for short walks around Balloch Castle & Country Park and Luss for some great photos of Loch Lomond, then had lunch at Callander. There are a lot of view points between here and Fort William, take your time and absorb in all the scenery! Spent a night in Premier Inn Fort William. The hotel is quite dated, not the cleanest we have stayed in and have no air conditioning, hence the under 4 star rating in Google. Temperature wise is OK during early May... but the beds are out of this world! It is so out of place because they are absolutely comfortable!
The next day after hearty (and standard) buffet breakfast in the hotel, we went to see the Jacobite train which is just 6 mins walk or 2 mins drive away from Premier Inn Fort William. It departs the Fort William station to Mallaig around 10:15 and will pass by the Glenfinnan Viaduct twice a day around 10:45 and 15:15. Bear in mind that Glenfinnan Viaduct is 30 mins drive away from Fort William station and can be very crowded during the train passing times. Parking is also limited around that area, so try and reach there early.
We reached there around 10:20, the main parking area was already full, some spots were already blocked/closed hence it took us 20 mins to drive further down the road and parked in a hotel parking which we needed to pay. We walked at least 10 mins to the viaduct and by that time it was already 10:50, we thought we missed it but there was still a fair bit of crowd. Suddenly people started shouting, "Train!" and you can hear the whistle of the steam train! Man, we were really lucky!
