Scotland in June

Old Feb 24th, 2012, 09:20 PM
  #21  
 
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Yes - two main ones

Historic Scotland http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/explorer

and National Trust for Scotland http://www.visitbritainshop.com/worl...er-ticket.html

(Alas, the late, lamented Great British Heritage Pass is no more )
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 08:42 PM
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Thanks janisj for those links. My goodness, no GBHP pass! I hadn't heard. We used those for every trip since 2005 and always came out ahead..Too bad.

Family and I debating the Jacobite Steam Train. Have read a ton of reviews and they seem mixed. If we go I'd like to go First class; which is expensive and I'm not getting a clear picture of seat assignments.

What I think I'm reading is that when you book, you get assigned a seat, could go forward, could be on the wrong side for best views, and you pay an extra fee for keeping those seats on the way back. If you don't pay to keep seats it is possible that you may be assigned seats on the opposite side of where you were on the first leg out. Whew, confusing. Anyone have any better information and do I have it right?

So I guess it just depends if you want to take a steam train that encompasses beautiful scenery, which does sound lovely. One reason we want to take it is to give my husband a break from driving.

If we didn't take it would the regular train from Fort William to Malraig, or maybe someplace more appealing, be just as scenic, minus the cinders and smoke? Please weigh in if you have an opinion.

Thank you.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 10:18 PM
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You can drive over the same route. W/ essentially no traffic - or very little. It is not a stressful drive at all. The road and rail line run parallel to each other. One advantage of driving is if you time the drive right, you can see the train passing by and/or crossing the viaduct. When you are on the train you only see it for bits as the track curves. Plus driving you can stop at places like Glenfinnan.

Not saying the train ride isn't wonderful -it is. I've been on the Jacobite once and the regular train over the exact same route 4 times. I've driven it several times -probably 8 or more.

There is no "wrong" side of the train.
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Old Feb 26th, 2012, 05:03 AM
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The regular train gives access to wonderful scenery, usually better than the road as it does not go along the valley bottoms - it has to stay high to make the gradients.
The road to Mallaig is a tiring drive, narrow twisty roads needing constant focus, the driver will not see much scenery.
In Glasgow, forget the Mackintosh tea rooms (yuck), instead eat in the old kitchen in Pollok House which is near the Burrell collection (both in the old Pollok estate).
The Kelvingrove Museum in the West of Glasgow is spectacular.
If you want to cut out part of your route, Inverness can be dropped without missing much and Fort William should not even be entered except to board the train out of it.
You will enjoy the journey to Skye whichever way you go.
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Old Feb 26th, 2012, 10:56 AM
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"The road to Mallaig is a tiring drive, narrow twisty roads needing constant focus, the driver will not see much scenery."

I've never had a problem on the road to Mallaig . . .
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Old Mar 2nd, 2012, 06:01 PM
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Thanks to you both. I'm going to book the Jacobite. My DD loves the idea and who knows when we will be there again.

We actually aren't going to Inverness; just dropping off the car in the city and catching a train to Glasgow. We are staying near Brodie Castle.

I haven't booked the train yet as I am concerned about the 10:45 train to Glasgow. This has a change of train in Perth and only allows us 15 mins to change platforms.
The earlier train, 8:45 has 0 changes and gets us in to Glasgow about noon. We will be dropping off the car at the Thistle Hotel on Millburn Rd. in Inverness. This office opens at 8:00 am.

Should we get to the drop-off office on the nose at 8 and then try to make the 8:45? Or should we take a later train and zoom over to the other platform? I would reserve our seats of course.

I'm worried that if something were to happen to the car we might miss the train, so I'm thinking better to take our time and catch a later train and hope we can get from what looks like Platform 4 to Platform 1 at Perth.

Is that the way you would do it? Thanks.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2012, 06:09 PM
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A 15 minute transfer isn't a problem - easy in fact. I would not book the earlier train because all sorts of hold ups can happen w/ a rental return.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2012, 08:05 AM
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Thank you janisj for your quick reply. It's amazing how you can view the Perth station online and figure out where to walk months before a trip!

That's what we will do. Just off to book the steam train.

Thanks again.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2012, 12:09 PM
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So, zippo, what's so yucky about the Mackintosh tea rooms? And we thought the drive to/from Mallaig a beautiful one, not particularly difficult at all. I'm with you on the Kelvingove Museum.

Regarding the train to/from Mallaig, the problem is what to do with the car if you switch to the train. You need a car on Skye. If you ferry from Skye to Mallaig to take the train from there, can you drop the car in Mallaig? There are very few big chain car rental offices in northern Scotland.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2012, 12:42 PM
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" . . . can you drop the car in Mallaig?"

Nope
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