Jacobite Steam Train Tours
Jacobite Steam Train Tours › Getting ThereUpdated 2026-09-25

Getting to the Jacobite Steam Train at Fort William

Hours, prices and access verified by the Jacobite Steam Train Tours team — last checked 2026-09-25.

Every Jacobite trip starts at Fort William station, a long way from Edinburgh or Glasgow. You can drive, come by train the day before, or let a tour do the driving. If you are buying Jacobite Steam Train tickets, sort out the journey to the platform first.

Fort William station, Station Square

Fort William station
Address: Tom-na-Faire, Station Square, Fort William, Highland PH33 6EN
Departures: 10:15 (morning), 12:50 (afternoon, 10 June to 25 September)
Arrive by: at least 20 minutes before departure

Open the station in Google Maps

The Jacobite starts and ends here, and a direct ticket is always a return to this platform. Tours that ride one way meet the train here or at Mallaig. Fort William station is also where ScotRail's trains from Glasgow and the sleeper from London arrive.

Parking and arriving 20 minutes early

Twenty minutes is the railway's minimum, not a comfortable margin. In high summer, give yourself longer, especially for the 10:15 train.

By road from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness

These are the routes West Coast Railways gives. All of them end on the A82 into Fort William.

Coming fromBy roadNote
EdinburghM9 to Stirling, then A84, A85 to Crianlarich, and A82Tours from Edinburgh leave between 6:00am and 8:30am
GlasgowA82 all the wayThe road passes Loch Lomond and Glen Coe
InvernessA82 southPast Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle
AviemoreA9, then A86The way in from the north-east
Carlisle and the southM6 and M74 to Glasgow, then the A82A long day; stay in Fort William the night before

No motorway reaches Fort William. The last stretch from any direction is a Highland A-road, and the Edinburgh route alone takes most of a morning. That is why the Edinburgh tours leave so early, and why a 10:15 train is a stretch from Edinburgh by car.

By train: why you arrive the day before

The Glasgow train is too late. The standard ScotRail service from Glasgow reaches Fort William after the 10:15 departure. Arrive the day before, or check whether the Caledonian Sleeper suits you. The two-day plan is on the Glasgow page.

The trip back is easier. The Jacobite returns to Fort William in time for a service train to Glasgow or Mallaig. So you can stay one night before, ride, and leave the same evening.

Check times and book with National Rail Enquiries, on 03457 48 49 50 or online.

Letting a tour do the driving

A tour solves the distance for you. Each one starts from its own meeting point, and the early starts are the price of a same-day return.

TourMeeting pointTime
Train-optional coach daysGeorge IV Bridge, Edinburgh Old Town6:00am
Viaduct day via Glencoe17 Charlotte Square, EdinburghCheck in 8:00am for 8:15am
Viaduct and Highlands dayCastle Terrace, Edinburgh7:15am or 8:15am
The 2-day tour192 High St, EdinburghAs booked
Inverness day and 3-day Skye tour15 Union St, Inverness, opposite the Victorian Market7:30am for the 3-day tour
Private daysYour address in Edinburgh or Glasgow8:30am

Private days collect you from your own address. Most shared tours exclude hotel pickup, so you walk to the meeting point. Compare the tours from Edinburgh if you are based in the capital.

Staying in Fort William

Fort William sits on Loch Linnhe at the foot of Ben Nevis, and it fills up in summer. The railway notes that Lochaber turns into a busy tourist hub in spring and summer. Book your bed as early as your train.

You have three broad choices. Stay in Fort William itself, a walk or short drive from the station. Stay in Glen Nevis, under Ben Nevis, where there are lodges and a campsite. Or stay out towards Morar and Arisaig, near the end of the line, and drive back in for the train.

Staying the night before takes the stress out of the 10:15 start. It also leaves your evening free if the train comes back late.

Questions about getting there

Where does the Jacobite Steam Train leave from?
It leaves from Fort William station: Tom-na-Faire, Station Square, Fort William PH33 6EN. The morning train departs at 10:15 and the afternoon train at 12:50.
Where do you park for the Jacobite?
There is plenty of parking in Fort William near the station. Do not use the supermarket car park, and allow at least 20 minutes to park and collect your tickets.
Can you get to the Jacobite by train from Glasgow?
Not on the same morning. The ordinary ScotRail train from Glasgow reaches Fort William after the 10:15 departure, so stay the night before. The sleeper may work, but check first.
Can you do the Jacobite as a day trip from Edinburgh?
Yes, on a tour. The coach does the long drive, and the day tours with a ticket put you on the train one way. Expect a 12 to 14 hour day.
Is there a train back after the Jacobite?
Yes. West Coast Railways says the Jacobite returns in time for a service train to Glasgow or Mallaig. Check the times with National Rail Enquiries.

Where these facts come from

The address, parking, road routes and rail advice come from West Coast Railways' directions page. Meeting points and times come from each tour's own booking page.

Tours that bring you to the train

Next: plan the train from Glasgow on the Glasgow page, see the timetable on the 2026 season, or compare every tour on Jacobite Steam Train Tours.