West Scottish Highlands

By Car

The drive follows the iconic ‘Road to the Isles’ (A830 to Lochailort), and having a car gives you the freedom to stop off and explore along the route.

The Drive to Glenuig (via Fort William) (approaching from the south) 

3.5 hours from Glasgow; 4 hours from Edinburgh; 2.5 hours from Inverness

After Fort William head north-west on the ‘Road to the Isles’ (A830) towards Mallaig. You may wish to stop at Glenfinnan to take in the beautiful views of Loch Shiel and soak up the history of the Glenfinnan monument and the Victorian viaduct (made famous in Harry Potter).  The journey continues until Lochailort, where you turn left onto the A861 towards Glenuig (8 miles). On entering the fishing village of Glenuig, turn right towards Glenuig Inn and continue for one more mile along this single-track road.

Driving Advice

Driving in parts of the Highlands does include some single-track roads, which you may not be used to. Please take your time and where necessary allow other drivers to overtake. Be aware that animals such as sheep, cattle and deer are often to be found grazing at the side of the road, especially in the cooler months, so please take care.

Fuel

It is always best to travel to the Highlands with a full tank of fuel – the nearest fuel stations are in Fort William (36 miles away), so it wise to re-fuel whilst passing through Fort William. 

Car Charging

There are two car charging points available which guests are welcome to use for a fee (guests will need to bring their own charging kit). Please note that there are Tesla supercharger points in Fort William, although these will be subject to availability on the day.

By Train

Destination: Lochailort Train Station, Arriving 17.09 on the Saturday

Whilst driving to the retreat is considerably quicker, if you travel by train, you will still be able to enjoy the views along the famous West Highland Line. The train departs from Glasgow Queen Street Station around lunchtime and arrives at Lochailort Train Station at 17.09 (sometimes with a change halfway at Crianlarich). A pre-arranged transfer with a local taxi company is essential due to the remote location (NB. the fare would be circa £60 – although if others decide to travel by train the fare could be shared). 

The trains on the West Highland Line tend to be a bit tired, however, it is definitely one of the most scenic train routes in the UK, with the final stage of the journey from Fort William to Lochailort having enjoyed renewed fame since the Harry Potter movies (although sadly you won’t be travelling on the Hogwarts Express itself!).

There is also the Caledonian Sleeper service, which leaves London Euston at 20.30pm and arrives in Fort William around 10.00am the next morning. Sadly, I don't recommend the Caledonian Sleeper as it's not conducive to a good night's sleep (!) and I would recommend splitting the journey with an overnight stay in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, and then taking the train from Glasgow to Lochailort on the Saturday for 17.09. For train tickets and information (www.thetrainline.com).

*Please note that Lochailort Train Station is a request only stop – which means that you must tell the conductor after Fort William that you will be getting off at Lochailort.

By Air

Glasgow Airport has the most flight options and from there you can hire a car or take the train. The drive from Glasgow to the retreat is certainly one to savour and enjoy. Technically the closest airport to Glenuig is Inverness; however, there are fewer flight options available.

Glasgow Airport (133 miles)
Inverness Airport (106 miles)
Edinburgh Airport (175 miles)