Hi. My last minute plans are: fly into Glasgow arriving 7am August 24th. Take bus that leaves at 1045am to Fort Williams, stay a night (I've heard it's a dump, not sure of alternatives) to catch the Jacobite train to Mallaig the next day. I have to be in Edinburgh on August 27th where I have booked a 4 night stay. I end up in Glasgow for 1 or 2 nights before flying home.
Essentially, I have August 24th till 27th to explore some part of Scotland. Travelling solo, too expensive to rent a car. I travel light. Another suggestions will be welcome.

24th Spend the night in Glasgow and explore the city and its museums, unless you have already been there several times.

25th Take the train next day all the way from Glasgow to Mallaig. It is one of the great train journeys in the world, and the scenery is outstanding. Skip Fort William. Depending on train and ferry schedules, you can spend the night in Mallaig or

Take the ferry to Armadale on Skye and the bus from there to Portree.

26th A bit of Skye and the bus to Kyle of Lochalsh. Train to Inverness down the Great Glen (Loch Ness).

27th Train from Inverness to Edinburgh, perhaps with a layover in Aberdeen for a walk around.

Longish days, fabulous scenery, no driving.

And, after you take this journey, please report back to us. I'm planning to go to Skye June 2011, and would love more material here.

No reason to spend the night in Ft William. As Ackislander suggests -just take the early AM train from Glasgow. (05:30) getting into Ft William @ 09:54 in time to switch to the Jacobite. The trains are scheduled to coordinate that.

Or if you really want to Stay in Ft William and not get up so early in the morning, instead of a bus to Ft William on the 24th -- take the train for sure. The train crosses Rannoch Moor and it is the only way you can see it since there are no roads across. The ride Glasgow > Ft William is just as scenic as the ride from Ft William > Mallaig.

Don't assume that there'll be a bus waiting for you at Armadale. The buses usually have a late morning pick-up (about 11:30) and then run about every hour and a half til late afternoon. You will definitely want to check out the timetables before arriving as there is not nearly enough to do in Armadale to keep you busy for that long.

You could walk over to the Clan Donald Vistor Centre. There you'll find the castle gardens and even though not much is left of Armadale Castle, the Museum of the Isles which focuses on the clan's history is actually one of the best small museums I've visited. www.highlandconnection.org/clandonaldcentre.htm

The buses are pretty standard @ 12:55, 4:25 and 6:35 - more or less scheduled w/ ferry arrivals @ 12:45, 4:15 and 6:30. For other ferry arrivals, yes, you'll have to wait.

But you can also take a taxi

Thanks so much for the input. Where does the train leave from Glasgow? there are several options for Glasgow on the railway website. I shall plan to stay my first night in Glasgow right by the train station.

Is there a railpass I could get?

Is the Jacobite train and it's route more special than the regular scotsrail train that leaves non stop from Dalmuir to Mallaig?

The only difference is the train equipment -- it is exactly the same route.

The trains leave from Glasgow Queen Street station and it is definitely NOT non-stop. Dalmuir is just the 1st stop after leaving Glasgow and is one of many. There are about 25 stops - but most are just a minute or two.

Thanks janisj. I should have said direct. It seems from Glasgow Central station one has to change trains twice until Dalmuir when there are no more train changes. So I thought I could take a taxi from the airport to Dalmuir (hopefully it won't be too expensive) to catch the 9.27am direct to Mallaig it might be easier. I will have 2 days to spend in Glasgow after Edinburgh. Still working on my itinerary.

As Janis says, the trains to Fort William and Mallaig start from Glasgow Queen Street station which is a short walk from Glasgow Central, or you get a train from Glasgow Central and change once, at Dalmuir.
The Jacobite train goes along exactly the same line as the ordinary train from Fort William to Mallaig. The scenery is just the same, but the Jacobite is about twice the price.

Thanks, that is good to know.

Yes, as GH says - if you catch the train at Queen Street -- there are no changes.

how long does a taxi take from the airport to Queen St station on a Tuesday around 8.30am? I gather it will cost about 20 pounds which might be worth it to try to catch the 9.07 train to Mallaig. if not the next train leaves at 12.21pm.