Scotland excels at scenic railway journeys, and the route taken by the Jacobite Steam Train along part of the West Highland Railway and the Mallaig Extension Railway is widely regarded as one of the finest. Recapturing a golden era of steam rail travel for a new generation of visitors and enthusiasts, the Jacobite Steam Train was introduced in 1984. Since the earliest days of the railway, powerful locomotives have been required to negotiate the demanding gradients presented by the Highland terrain.
Today, four beautifully restored steam locomotives take turns to make the eighty-two mile return trip from Fort William to Mallaig and back: the Lancashire Fusilier and its sister engine the North Briton; the Lord of the Isles, and the Sherwood Forester. These magnificent locomotives haul original British Rail First and Standard Class carriages which were originally in use in the 1960s and now bear a distinctive maroon livery.
Jacobite Steam Train operates every morning from Monday to Friday between May and October each year, with additional weekend and afternoon services added in Summer between June and August.