Highland rover

[sdrennan]

I intend doing a trip around the West and North Highland Lines using a 4 day Highland Rover. My wife now wants to come along so some of my extra bits have been curtailed to allow for items we both like.
Plan is to Leave Glasgow (Saturday) 08:21 to Oban, catch Ferry to Mull and mess around island before returning to Oban on last boat, Stay in Oban (Any B&B suggestions?)
Sunday First Train (12:11) to Crianlarich and then catch Train to mallaig. Connection time is 40 minutes so should be very safe. Stay in Mallaig overnight
Monday: catch Ferry to Skye and take 52X bus tour around island stopping at Distillery and Dunvegan castle) Good value at £7. Change at Portree for Bus to Kyle and catch Train to Dingwall (Stay overnight
Tuesday: catch Train (07:43) to Wick or Thurso spend an hour or 2) catch return Train stopping off at Dunrobin Castle (Love the fact you have a request stop on the train) spend 3 hours then return to Dingwall. End of Rover ticket.
Wednesday : Cheap Advance ticket from Dingwall to Glasgow (Maybe plan a stop in Inverness for a couple of hours.

Questions? Does this sound feasible to those people who have used it in the past.
Any extra suggestions I should fit in?

 

[Tin Rocket]

I intend doing a trip around the West and North Highland Lines using a 4 day Highland Rover. My wife now wants to come along so some of my extra bits have been curtailed to allow for items we both like.
Plan is to Leave Glasgow (Saturday) 08:21 to Oban, catch Ferry to Mull and mess around island before returning to Oban on last boat, Stay in Oban (Any B&B suggestions?)
Sunday First Train (12:11) to Crianlarich and then catch Train to mallaig. Connection time is 40 minutes so should be very safe. Stay in Mallaig overnight
Monday: catch Ferry to Skye and take 52X bus tour around island stopping at Distillery and Dunvegan castle) Good value at £7. Change at Portree for Bus to Kyle and catch Train to Dingwall (Stay overnight
Tuesday: catch Train (07:43) to Wick or Thurso spend an hour or 2) catch return Train stopping off at Dunrobin Castle (Love the fact you have a request stop on the train) spend 3 hours then return to Dingwall. End of Rover ticket.
Wednesday : Cheap Advance ticket from Dingwall to Glasgow (Maybe plan a stop in Inverness for a couple of hours.

Questions? Does this sound feasible to those people who have used it in the past.
Any extra suggestions I should fit in?

The Rowantree hotel in Oban is fantastic,very reasonable off season would imagine it gets a lot buisier in peak though,opposite a great little boozer with a curry house just up the road on the corner

 

[VideozVideoz]

Itinery is good, however I don't recommend staying in Mallaig. It's not that attractive and 2 hours there is enough for anyone in my opinion. You should visit Glenfinnan on your journey to Mallaig and get there later if you're planning to stay over.

 

[sdrennan]

Thanks for replies so far.

Have stayed in Rowantree and will be there early June for several nights but was looking for a smaller B&B as I expect the price to be a lot higher in July.

Regarding my Mallaig stop it is all down to time. If I want to catch the tour on Skye I need to stay in Skye or Mallaig. The buses on skye are not often in evening to get to a B&B and the trains arrive in Mallaig at either 17:43 or 23:35 .
I could stopover but it means a very late arrival in mallaig and nearly a 6 hour stopover somewhere. If it was just me I might do it but I don't think my wife would want to hangout for 6 hours or arrive so late

 

[EltonRoad]

Beautiful though it is, I don't think you'd want to spend 6 hours in Glenfinnan to be honest, unless you are a keen walker and have an idea where you'll go before you get there. Ditto all other stops between FW and Mallaig.

 

[VideozVideoz]

True, if its a 6 hour wait til the next train then theres not much else you can do

 

[dorsetman]

The last time I was at Glenfinnan there were thousands of midges biting hard and all I wanted to do was get inside somewhere and close all the windows!!

 

[Essexman]

I stayed at the Glenroy guesthouse in Oban last year and would recommend it.

 

[sdrennan]

I will try and stay near civilisation to avoid the dreaded midgies!!

 

[dorsetman]

The midges come out when the air is still and particularly after rain.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

:roll: Mallaig is o.k. for a couple of hours visit or for an overnight stay. If you get there on the 1743 Scotrail arrival, you'll be able to check in at your overnight accommodation, have a look round the docks, go for a meal, get an early night in, and then be up and about in good time for the 0810 sailing to Skye the following morning. This might not be possible/practicable on the 2331 arrival.

Not really worth alighting at any of the intermediate stops en route from Crianlarich to Mallaig given that it is a six hours wait for the next train (!)

 

[PaulLothian]

Not sure when in the year the OP is planning this trip, but in most of the area he discusses midges are not a significant problem before beginning of June and by mid-September. The further north you are, the shorter their period of activity. They do not like wind (anything more than a light breeze - 5 mph or so) and also dislike both direct sunlight and heavy rain, which sounds like the recipe for an average West Highland day!