From Inverness to Fort William via Skye

[paul@skegby.org.]

I would love some help for the following trip.

My idea is to travel from Inverness to Kyle by train, onto Skye, around to Armadale, the ferry across to Mallaig and by train to Fort William.

I would like to start from Inverness as early as possible on a Wednesday morning (1st June) travel around to Fort William in time to catch the sleeper at 19:50hrs.

Questions are:

1. Currently the first train from Inverness is 09:00 (winter timetable)
Would anyone know if there would be an earlier service in the summer timetable this year?
Or can anyone tell me if there was an earlier one in last years.

2. It is about 15 years since I last travelled to Kyle, at the time there was ferry across to Skye, now with the bridge, do you have to walk, take the bus or is there still a ferry for foot passengers only?
I dont mind the walk, but how long at a gentle stroll would it take.

3. When on Skye, what’s the best option of getting to Armadale, by bus or taxi, and how long should you allow for the journey.


Any input/help most welcome

 

[blackfive460]

There always used to be a very early train to Kyle but I'm not sure nowadays however, you can get bus timetables from the Stagecoach web site and the current guide for Skye & Lochalsh is here (the link is to a pdf by the way).

 

[VideozVideoz]

Not sure about an earlier Kyle train... never remember seeing it published in the timetable. Regarding your journey, it is possible:

After getting to Kyle, you'd have to get the 1pm bus (#55) to Broadford. Wait 10 mins and get the 13:33 bus (#52) to Armadale arriving approx 2pm. Then the 2:14pm ferry to Mallaig would get you in at 3pm. Walk to the train station and catch the 4:05pm to Fort William

 

[me123]

You really would be best to go in the Summer. Not only is there the weather to take into consideration, but Calmac operate a much more frequent ferry service in the Summer than they do in the Winter on that route (8 a day in the Summer, only 2 a day in the Winter!). Travelline Scotland will be a useful resource for this, combining the timetables for all three modes of transport, but it is quite a rubbishy search engine.

Bear in mind that all your journeys have a very low frequency, and that if you miss one connection (particularly a change of bus on the Isle of Skye) you've got the potential to be stuck in (literally) the middle of nowhere for a very long time! Now, to answer your questions:

1) I believe Scotrail's timetable is now the same throughout the year on this route. As such, I believe the 09:00 departure from Inverness will be your earliest.
2) I don't believe that there's a problem with walking along the bridge, but you might be better to get public transport/taxi as there's not very much in Kyleakin.
3) The buses on Skye have a very low frequency, as is to be expected in the Highlands. In fact, if you miss the 10 minute connection that "VideozVideoz" mentions above, you're scuppered! If you want to be safe, you may wish to order a taxi to Armadale. Yes, it will be more expensive, but bear in mind that this isn't the same making a transfer in London! I believe you can ask the people at the Kyle Taxi Company to pick you up from Kyle, and this will be a much more robust connection; the only thing that can possible go wrong is a closure of the bridge in high winds, as I don't think Skye has many traffic jams!

 

[Track Basher]

It is actually possible to do this on the later departure from Inverness

You can do this is two ways.

The times on the page attached show how I planned to do it and how I did it in the end. I took the safe way as a foot and a half of snow was dropped on Scotland a few days before we went and temp was minus 20.

http://trackbasher.co.uk/ScotlandDec09.aspx

The times are based on the Winter 09 timetable so will need checking.

It is possible to leave on the later train from Inverness you do not have to be on the 09:00.

If it is in the summer a bus used to run from Kyle to Armadale but does not run in the winter you have to change at Broadford Post Office.

Hope this helps

 

[CallySleeperKid]

I planned to do this, but the other way around, a few years back, it never happened. It was also to be part of a holiday in Inverness but going up to Fort William, getting the Jacobite to Mallaig, ferry to Skye, Taxi to Kyle and a night in a hotel before carrying on to Inverness the next day.

My main point is the taxi mentioned, I do seem top remember I e mailed Kyle Taxis and they came back with a price that I thought to be very cheap, like I say it was a few years, maybe 3, back and I can't remember the price quoted.

As mentioned above, you would have a far better chance of doing this comfortably in the summer, weather and light have to be taken into consideration, The Kyle and West Highland lines are the most scenic in the UK and you don't want to miss a second of either if you can, so give yourself the best chance with the light and extra trains in the summer.

I hope you get this trip off the ground and let us know how you get on, its a trip I still plan to do.

 

[CBG2KGX]

A couple of years ago in March as part of an ALR trip I tried Glasgow-Mallaig-Skye-Kyle in a day ahead of Kyle-Inverness-Wick-Inverness the next day. Ferry was cancelled due to high winds so ended up doing Mallaig back to Fort William and a coach to Kyle for a very late checkin to my hotel there.

Sadly the next day's 6am Kyle departure was a coach to Stromeferry due to a downed tree blocking the line.

 

[Lee_Again]

Last Feb a group of 5 of us used a taxi from Armadale to Kyle. It was £45 but this was for a 6 seater. The taxi was pre-booked and was waiting for us, as arranged, upon arrival. Journey to Kyle was about 25 mins. Not very scenic, apart from the final bit over the bridge.

 

[flymo]

Most of Skye is included in Google Street View now so at least you can have a look at what you will be seeing and get the lay of the land so to speak. Just did the trip from Kyle of Lochalsh to Armadale in the comfort of my armchair and with a beer in my hand. Marvellous stuff there, must get up that way one day.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Done this journey a few years ago. Key thing's the weather, if the Armadale-Mallaig ferry is off, then you could easily be stuck on Skye.

Timetable info that I have is...

Train - depart Inverness 0900, arrive Kyle 1128

Ferry - depart Armadale 1430, arrive Mallaig 1500

Train - depart Mallaig 1605, arrive Fort William 1727 (train continues to Glasgow, that's the journey that I did) (Or wait for sleeper, which departs Fort William at 1950)

Or travelling slightly later...

Train - depart Inverness 1101, arrive Kyle 1326

Ferry - depart Armadale 1550, arrive Mallaig 1620

Train - depart Mallaig 1727, arrive Fort William 1937 (Sleeper departs 1950)

So, it's just the road section between Kyle and Armadale Pier (via Broadford) that needs to be resolved. (Sorry, don't have a 2011 Skye bus timetable to refer to, hopefully the interchange/connection at Broadford will still work !)

 

[Tomnick]

We did this last summer, cycling from one to the other as part of a circular four-day tour of the area. Having come up from Fort William to Inverness over the previous two days (overnight stop in Fort Augustus), we caught the second train off Inverness to Kyle, then cycled over to a cracking little B&B just outside Broadford. The next day, it was a nice steady ride down to Armadale for the ferry across to Mallaig and the Jacobite back to Fort William. I'd thoroughly recommend cycling as the best way to experience the area - I don't think you'd get quite the same feel for the remoteness of the area. It was quite unusual to be able to stand on a fairly high-standard A-road in the middle of the day and not be able to hear any noise whatsoever .

 

[radamfi]

Most of Skye is included in Google Street View now so at least you can have a look at what you will be seeing and get the lay of the land so to speak. Just did the trip from Kyle of Lochalsh to Armadale in the comfort of my armchair and with a beer in my hand. Marvellous stuff there, must get up that way one day.

Google Street View seems to make travelling for scenery almost pointless. At least rail lines are not in Street View (yet).

 

[flymo]

Google Street View seems to make travelling for scenery almost pointless.

Not sure about that. Having a look at what is there just makes me want to go there in person all the more to see for myself. I think it is a handy tool for checking the locations of various things but you will never replace the actual feel of being there.

 

[VideozVideoz]

Done this journey a few years ago. Key thing's the weather, if the Armadale-Mallaig ferry is off, then you could easily be stuck on Skye.

Timetable info that I have is...

Train - depart Inverness 0900, arrive Kyle 1128

Ferry - depart Armadale 1430, arrive Mallaig 1500

Train - depart Mallaig 1605, arrive Fort William 1727 (train continues to Glasgow, that's the journey that I did) (Or wait for sleeper, which departs Fort William at 1950)

Or travelling slightly later...

Train - depart Inverness 1101, arrive Kyle 1326

Ferry - depart Armadale 1550, arrive Mallaig 1620

Train - depart Mallaig 1727, arrive Fort William 1937 (Sleeper departs 1950)

So, it's just the road section between Kyle and Armadale Pier (via Broadford) that needs to be resolved. (Sorry, don't have a 2011 Skye bus timetable to refer to, hopefully the interchange/connection at Broadford will still work !)

You obviously hadn't seen my previous post that had train/bus/ferry times on already (for the earlier trip!)

 

[Zamracene749]

If you're worried about the connection in Broadford, bear in mind that citylink services run like normal bus services in the Highlands, there is currently a 12.15 departure from Kyle that gets to Broadford 12.35 giving ample time to catch the 52.

 

[Welshman]

When I did the trip last September, using the 1101 service from Inverness, there was a Stagecoach Optare Solo leaving Kyle around 1335, [service 52], which ran over the Bridge, bypassing Kyleakin, and went directly to Armadale, turning-round at Broadford Post Office, and arrived at Armadale about 1425, in good time for the ferry to Mallaig and the 1605 departure to Fort William. IIRC, the fare on the bus was about £6 single. Unfortunately, there was only one other person on it, so it remains to be seen if it runs in the 2011 summer season!

Failing that, it's change at Broadford, and there's an excellent coffee shop in the lay-by adjacent the Post Office!

[A far cry from my first visit in the 1960s, when it was a Macbrayne's Bedford
from the ferry terminal at Kyleakin!]

The scenery was outstanding, but I emphasise what has been said about the remoteness of these parts, and recommend you look-up the Stagecoach in Skye website before you set off!

 

[paul@skegby.org.]

Thanks for all the replies.

About 10 years ago I took a ferry from Mallaig direct to Kyle, which was excellent, but that doesn’t run now.

After all the information shared, I think I will do Inverness to Kyle and return, then Fort William to Mallaig and return, taking the bus between Inverness and Fort William.

As the Welshman say's, If the 52 bus runs I may consider that, or in time i'll say on Syke for a couple of nights.

 

[EltonRoad]

I've done the coach between Inverness and Fort William - it's a pretty scenic run, going the entire length of Loch Ness, and the part around Spean Bridge is good, next to Commando Memorial, with spectacular views over to Nevis Range.

My hint for that journey is to book the ticket in advance on their web site, it was only about £5.