Loch Ness and Jacobite Steam Train Full Day Tour from Inverness
Description
Explore the breathtaking landscapes of Loch Ness and the West Coast on this full-day tour. Experience the beauty of ancient ruins, a moving war memorial, and stunning beaches while surrounded by the majestic Scottish wilderness. The highlight of the day is a magical 2-hour ride on the Jacobite Steam Train, where you'll traverse the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, known for its appearance in the Harry Potter films. This unforgettable journey promises to immerse you in the rich history and natural beauty of Scotland. - Full-day tour around Loch Ness and the West Coast - Ride the famous Jacobite Steam Train for 2 hours - See the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct featured in Harry Potter - Discover ancient ruins and beautiful beaches along the way
Tour Options
Itinerary
We depart Inverness and head to Loch Ness for a photo stop at the Urquhart Castle viewpoint.
Next, we stop at the Commando Memorial viewpoint for a photo stop and to learn about its history.
Next up is a ride on the world-famous Jacobite Steam Train, aka the Hogwarts Express! Embark upon an unforgettable journey from Fort William to Mallaig, taking in the breathtaking scenery, before enjoying some free time in Mallaig.
After the steam train journey, we arrive in Mallaig for our lunch break. Take the opportunity to sample some Scottish seafood and enjoy the coastal views.
We arrive in Glenfinnan and have the opportunity to climb up to the viewpoint for a view of Loch Shiel, recognisable from the Harry Potter films.
Our tour continues in Fort Augustus, a charming village nestled at the southern end of Loch Ness. Here we can explore the Caledonian Canal and learn about Nessie.
Our penultimate stop of the day is the impressive Suidhe Viewpoint where we make a quick stop to stretch our legs and snap a quick photo.
Our last stop of the tour is the lovely Dores Beach.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- It is recommended to book transport to the departure point in advance. Please also allow extra time to get to the departure point for check-in. We advise you arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour departure to allow time to check-in for the tour. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold the bus or refund for any late arrivals.
- Return times are approximate and subject to road conditions and weather. Please ensure you allocate sufficient time for any onward travel plans, allowing at least 3 hours after the scheduled return time for connections or activities.
- Please note that the Jacobite Steam Train service may be subject to alterations and cancellations at short notice, outwith our control.
Reviews(10)
Beautiful scenery and tour guide was pretty knowledgeable about the history of the area. Ride on the Jacobite train was a highlight. Weather wasn’t the best but it is Scotland. I felt that the driver could have slowed down a bit given the weather and wet roads. I felt a bit uncomfortable and nervous at times
Hello Debbie, so great to hear that you appreciated the local history and information shared by your expert driver guide on tour! Amazing that the included journey on the iconic Jacobite Steam train proved such a hit! Our driver guides are highly experienced and trained to driver to road conditions and having reviewed the live tracking data from the bus that operated your tour, note that the driver guide observed the local speed limits at all times. Sometimes the nature of more windy/rural roads can be unfamiliar which can lead to a sense of travelling faster than the actual speed. We regret that this may have caused you concern or discomfort during the tour. Kind regards, Amy Haggis Adventures
This was fantastic the steam train was the highlight of the day. We loved mallaig for the restaurant the crab and reel. The day overall was fantastic. It was a great introduction to the highlands.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us review of your experience! We're glad you had a fantastic time exploring the Scottish Highlands and enjoyed riding the Jacobite Steam Train. Thanks again and best wishes, Haggis Adventures
Our Driver, Ian, was wonderful. Very informative and the scenery was beautiful, but we didn’t get the Jacobite train experience as part of the tour due to a train out of service. That was very disappointing. We realize this was out of Ian’s control and not his fault but it left many of us upset. I would still recommend this tour and hope they had a better experience.
Hi Theresa, Thank you for being so understanding regarding the very last minute service update we had received from the operator of The Jacobite Steam Train service, West Coast Railways. Whilst it was not possible for this journey to be hauled by the authentic steam train locomotive due to a breakdown, we do trust that the atmosphere and scenery of the journey as part of our 1 day Highlands tour package was enjoyable! Iain worked hard to manage this disruption and understandable disappointment professionally and made every attempt to deliver a high quality tour and so we thank you for recognising this! We hope to welcome you back for another wee adventure in the future! Kind regards, Amy- Reservations Supervisor- Haggis Adventures
Steam train with modern carriages in bad condition. Bought 2 Harry Potter chocolate frogs which were $20 Aus dollars. The whole trip was a complete rip off of the tourist. Very disappointing. Nothing at all like Puffy Billy.
Dear Wayne, we are saddened to hear that elements of our tour package fell below expectations. Whilst we cannot comment directly on the price of themed merchandise purchased on the refreshment trolley service during your train journey as this portion of the tour is operated by a third party, we will be sure to forward your feedback to West Coast Railways for their future product development. On occasion, West Coast Railways may be required to substitute carriages on the Jacobite Train service for their vintage intercity carriages. This is subject to maintenance requirements and falls outside of our control as the overall package operator. This is also mentioned as a disclaimer in the company's own terms and conditions. We are very sorry that your experience of the steam train journey did not meet your expectations. Whilst we completely appreciate that the Steam Train element of our tour package is the main attraction, we do wish to highlight that in addition to the 2 hour one way journey on the train you have received a full 11 hour guided coach tour to explore a large area of the picturesque Scottish Highlands. We do hope that you gained value from this part of your tour experience and benefitted from the insight of our expert driver guide to learn more about bonnie Scotland's rich history, unique culture and folklore. We thank you for all feedback which will be considered and passed on to the third party operator of The Jacobite Steam Train.
Weather will have a big effect on the tour especially what you can see through the train windows. Our tour guide, Karen, was excellent. She was very accommodating to the members on the tour. The tour is ALL DAY.
Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 4 star review of your recent tour experience on the Loch Ness and the steam train . We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Karen. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Haggis Adventures
The railway line is really top. Unfortunately, I would rather call the Jacobite Train itself Disappointing. The operator WestCoast Railway charges far more than twice the price of the normal train, which also runs exactly the same route several times a day. That would still be appropriate if the train were actually pulled by steam locomotive. But it often won't, but indirectly diesel locomotive. Calling WestCoast as part of our month-long pre-booked journey revealed at the end of August 2025 that they were currently having problems with one of the two locomotives, which could just happen. If at least the wagons or the staff had even a slight resemblance to the Harry Potter style, these are instead, at least in the 2nd class, old ordinary wide-body wagons. As we already noticed the lack of steam locomotive on the morning of our 17:00 trip from Mallaig to Fort William, we wanted to change to the 14:10 train with steam locomotive. As many guests had continued to take the ferry to Skye, there were free seats. However, despite our complaint, they wanted to sell us again only at full price . A real outrage, I think. No goodwill or explanations, let alone a credit note. There was not even any information before the trip about the failure of the steam locomotive. We can only recommend to take the normal train, which is at least modern equipped. By the way, the steam locomotives used are not the locomotive from the movies! It's in the museum in London... so that's quite a tourist nub in part. Unfortunately because the track would give it away to make it really good as a real Potter train!!!
Hello, we are sorry to hear that your experience of the Jacobite Train journey fell below expectations during your recent 1 day tour. We have reviewed this situation and can confirm that unforeseen maintenance requirements forced West Coast Railways to substitute the steam locomotive for a vintage diesel engine as a last minute change on their 5pm service. We were not notified about this in advance and therefore did not have the opportunity to make you aware of this change. Whilst we accept that this situation was far from ideal, the operator do make clear in their terms of carriage that they reserve the right to substitute the locomotive/carriages to ensure the continued running of their services. As this portion of your tour was operated by West Coast Railways as a third party, there was very little we could do directly to change the situation and apologise that these changes impacted your enjoyment of the tour. We also wish to highlight that as part of the package you had booked with our company, seating was advertised and included in standard carriage class. As a tour operator, we are able to book a group ticket for our tour passengers with West Coast Railways. Their group booking terms mean that we cannot request individual seat upgrades, however upgrades are offered subject to availability on the day of travel with the train guard. With regards to your request to amend your booking for the Jacobite Train, the reason this was not possible was due to this service being confirmed at a specific time as part of a full 1-day tour package. Our itinerary timings meant that we could not offer a transfer to the 14.10 service as this is the time you had been exploring the Scottish Highlands on tour. As West Coast Railways operated the journey, per their terms, there is no requirement to provide any voucher, however we apologise that we did not have opportunity to update you about this change prior to your departure. With regards to your comments about the train not being the same as in the Harry Potter film franchise, we wish to clarify that the original Jacobite Steam Train inspired the fictional "Hogwarts Express" and many of the scenes filmed are CGI edited and are not fully representative of the experience West Coast Railways provide. We will be sure to raise all feedback with the rail operator so that they can consider these as part of their future service development. We do hope that the other elements of the tour we have provided were enjoyable and offered you the opportunity to discover the picturesque scenery, rich history and unique culture of the Scottish Highlands! Kind regards, Amy- Reservations Supervisor- Haggis Adventures
This was an outstanding trip worth every penny! The guide was amazing. The driver was wonderful, everything was easy and well organized. The train was a really neat experience. The sites were beautiful. I would go on this trip again tomorrow.
Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent Jacobite steam train tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with us. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Haggis Adventures
Train not steam but diesel before disappointment, travel basically by bus, train only 1 hour and 20 '. Total tour duration 12 hours to see the nothingness.
Hello, we are sorry to hear that this tour did not meet your expectations. We have reviewed your feedback and note that the operator of The Jacobite Steam Train service, West Coast Railways were forced to make a last minute substitution of the steam locomotive during their service as essential maintenance was necessary. Per the operator's terms and conditions, they highlight that if required, they may make changes to the locomotive/carriages to ensure the continued operation of their service. We are sorry that this change impacted your enjoyment of the overall tour however, we are aware that you continued to receive the same atmospheric journey between Mallaig and Fort William in spite of this last minute substitution. We are somewhat confused by your additional comments regarding the tour as we make clear on our product listing that the train journey is included as a one way 2 hour journey as part of a longer 13 hour day trip which is operated by our company as a 1-day bus tour of The Scottish Highlands. It is very surprising to us that having journeyed through a large area of Scotland, you did not see anything. Your comments are at odds with other passenger feedback for this tour on your travel date. For the purpose of others reading this response, we wish to highlight that in addition to the 2 hour train journey, we included a comprehensive tour of The Scottish Highlands inclusive of scenic photo stops and comfort breaks at locations such as Glen Coe, Mallaig, Pitlochry. We do hope that you were able to appreciate learning more about Scotland's rich history, unique culture and folklore as part of this 1-day tour. Kind regards, Amy Reservations Supervisor- Haggis Adventures
It was a nice ride. We stopped at several places to look at the view and take pictures. The guide talked all the time and was very knowledgeable. The train ride was fun, very warm but nice.
Hi Kristel Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with us. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Haggis Adventures
Our tour guide Sonia was absolutely incredible! Knowledgeable, friendly, and personable for the entire day! There are two reasons I’m not giving it five stars, however: 1) This was advertised as the Jacobite Steam Train, which we were very much looking forward to and was the primary reason we booked this experience, but it was not a steam train at all. Very disappointing. 2) It was booked as a 10 hour tour, and ended up actually being a 12 hour tour. While the Scottish countryside is absolutely lovely, 12 hours is a substantially long time, and those extra two hours felt like a lot. More importantly, this also meant we got back into Inverness after most of the kitchens had closed at 9pm for the evening. There were a few restaurants we were interested in trying, and they were all closed by the time we showed up at 9:45pm! We ended up getting the last two pizzas available at a pub - which were delicious, but not at all our original plan. Viator - It would have been nice to be notified in advance about either or both of these issues. We realize some things are out of your control - but advance notification helps travelers make or adapt their plans - and there’s no reason this information could not have been communicated in advance. We were told it hasn’t been a steam train for quite awhile now. Further, it’s clear you combined the 10 hour and the 12 hour tours you sell - but we chose the 10 hour one intentionally around dinner plans in Inverness.
Hi Marion, we wanted to thank you for sharing your feedback following your tour earlier this season and wanted to share our findings following our team's investigation of your comments. Firstly, we are really pleased that you enjoyed the company and information shared by our amazing driver guide Sonia throughout your tour. Our driver guides are passionate about sharing local knowledge and embodying the spirit of Scotland's famous Highland Hospitality! We are very sorry that due to an unexpected breakdown of the steam locomotive, West Coast Railways did not have opportunity to make us aware of this update prior to your departure as this breakdown was last minute and unforeseen. As the operator, West Coast Railways will always look to substitute the locomotive used to haul the Jacobite Carriages to ensure passengers can receive and enjoy the same atmospheric journey and will always look to minimise disruption to their service this way. They mention their right to do this in their booking terms which we also reiterate in our booking terms. We regret that this caused disappointment during the tour and understand the frustrations you have expressed. Regarding the timings of this tour, Viator and ourselves do advertise this tour as being a full 12 hour day and the departure time can either be at 07.30am-20.00pm or 09.30am-21.45pm. The timings for each tour are subject to which tickets we receive from West Coast Railways for the train as we will either take the morning service from Fort William-Mallaig at 10.15am for the earlier departure or will operate the tour itinerary in reverse to take the Mallaig-Fort William service at 17.00pm for our later departure. Your e-ticket will always specify the departure and return times to allow you advance notice of our schedule and to offer you opportunity to make plans prior to or following your tour. Whilst this tour is a long day, we also incorporate multiple stops as comfort breaks to enjoy refreshment throughout the tour. We regret if there had been any confusion regarding the schedule of our tour and hope to have offered clarification here. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure in the future! With warm wishes, Amy
