We are going to be staying in Fort William for part of our trip. We are thinking of taking the Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig. My questions are, should we stay for the day in Mallaig and go on a boat trip while there and then just take the Scotland rail back to Fort William? If so, do you recommend any particular boat trip to see wildlife. Should we take the Jacobite steam train back to Fort William?

Thank you!

Nothing much at Mallaig - tiny hard-scrabble kind of town. Regular trains may be cheaper than the return fare anyway they run regularly back to Ft William.

Mallig isn't that bad and has improved considerably over the years. It has some lovely walks and beaches nearby, but maybe stay at Glenfinnan instead or even Arisaig. Both places offer boat trips. The one from Glenfinnan goes up Loch Shiel and I would highly recommend it.

did not mean to say Maillag was bad - when I had to wait tyhere a few hours several years ago it looked rather ramshackle but the memory ain't good - in town not much I saw to do but as historytraveler who is much more knowledgeable about it than me there are it seems nice walks and boat trips.

We are not staying in Mallig. Sorry for the misunderstanding. The question is if we take a morning train from Fort William should we plan to take a boat trip from Mallig that afternoon before heading back to Fort William?

If you have the time, sure.

Is there a particular boat company you recommend?