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Jacobite Steam Train Tours › The Jacobite Steam Train and Isle of Skye: 2 to 4 DaysUpdated 2026-09-25

The Jacobite Steam Train and Isle of Skye: 2 to 4 Days

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

A red deer stag on frosty moorland below a snow-streaked mountain

The Jacobite ends at Mallaig, and the ferries for Skye leave from the same harbour. That is why trips pair the two. This guide sets out the versions you can book, from two days to four, and what each one does with your nights. If you are ready for a Jacobite Steam Train reservation, the table halfway down puts them side by side.

How many days do Skye and the Jacobite need?

Three days is the shortest trip that rides the train and sleeps on Skye. The first day gets you to the train and the island. The second is Skye itself. The third brings you back.

Two days is enough for the train, but not for Skye. Four days gives Skye a full day of its own, with a night either side. If your time is short, pick the train first and add the island only if you have the third day.

What does the two-day trip cover?

The two-day trip leaves from 192 High Street in Edinburgh's Old Town. Day one goes north through Pitlochry and the Drumochter Pass to Culloden and the Clava Cairns, then to Loch Ness. You sleep in a bed and breakfast in Fort Augustus, at the south end of the loch.

Day two is the train. You ride the Jacobite one way, have lunch in Mallaig at your own cost, and come back to Edinburgh through Glen Coe and across Rannoch Moor. The Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle cost extra: £31 for an adult and £22 for a child.

This trip does not go to Skye. Choose it if you want the train and Loch Ness in one night away. It costs $469 a person and refunds in full up to 14 days ahead.

What does the three-day trip from Inverness include?

The three days from Inverness leave from 15 Union Street, opposite the Victorian Market, at 7:30am. You stop above Loch Ness and at the Commando Memorial, then board the Jacobite at Fort William and cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the way to Mallaig.

After lunch in Mallaig you cross to Skye and sleep two nights in Portree. The island day covers the Fairy Pools, the Quiraing, Kilt Rock and the Old Man of Storr. The last day returns by Eilean Donan Castle, Beauly, Glen Ord, Culloden and the Clava Cairns.

The fare of $752 covers the train ticket, two nights' bed and breakfast and a driver-guide, with 16 people at most. Castle and Culloden entry is extra. It refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.

What does the three-day trip from Edinburgh include?

The three-day Skye trip from Edinburgh spends two nights on the island in a three-star bed and breakfast, with full Scottish breakfasts. It travels by Mercedes-Benz midi-coach, stops at Loch Ness and Eilean Donan Castle, and crosses back from Skye by ferry.

The train is the catch. The Jacobite ride comes only with the dearer option, and only on April to October departures. The headline $487 is the fare without it. The coach stop at Glenfinnan to view the viaduct is also subject to availability.

Choose it if Skye matters most and the train is a bonus. It refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, and it takes children from five.

What does the four-day trip add?

The four-day Skye trip goes west from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and Glen Coe, and sleeps the first night in Fort Augustus. Day two visits Eilean Donan Castle, with entry in the fare, and crosses to Skye.

Day three is all Skye: the Cuillin, the black houses, Kilt Rock and the Old Man of Storr on the Trotternish peninsula, depending on the weather. On day four you sail from Armadale to Mallaig, ride the Jacobite to Fort William in summer, and meet your driver-guide there for the road home by Pitlochry.

It costs $1,044 a person for three nights with breakfast, with 16 people at most. It refunds in full only up to 28 days ahead, so book it once your dates are firm.

How do the multi-day trips compare?

Here are the four versions side by side. Every fare is per person and comes from the listing's own details.

TripStartsNightsThe JacobiteSleeps on SkyeFull refundFrom (USD)
Two days from Edinburgh192 High Street1, in Fort AugustusOne way, in the fareNo14 days$469
Three days from InvernessUnion Street, 7:30am2, in PortreeOne way, in the fareYes, two nights24 hours$752
Three days from EdinburghVaries by option2, on SkyeOnly on the dearer optionYes, two nights24 hours$487, no train
Four days from EdinburghVaries by option3: Fort Augustus, then SkyeOne way, summer onlyYes, two nights28 days$1,044

The widest choice sits under multi-day tours with the train, with a card for every trip.

Where do you sleep?

The two-day trip sleeps in a bed and breakfast in Fort Augustus, and the four-day trip spends its first night there too, then two on Skye. The three-day trip from Edinburgh uses a three-star bed and breakfast on the island. The Inverness trip sleeps in Portree, the island's main town.

If you travel alone, book the single room. The two-day and four-day listings say they may not accept a solo booking otherwise. Three people choosing a double get a family room, subject to availability.

Book early for summer. West Coast Railways calls Lochaber a busy tourist hub in spring and summer, and rooms near the line fill with it.

How do you get from Mallaig to Skye?

By ferry or by road. Mallaig is the end of the West Highland Line and a working ferry port. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye, and the four-day trip uses the Armadale crossing on its last morning, subject to availability. The three-day trip from Edinburgh includes a ferry from Skye too.

The other trips cross by road. If a ferry cannot sail, your guide changes the order of the day. On both trips from Edinburgh the order of the days can change with the weather.

What do you see on Skye?

The trips share a short list, because the island's best-known stops sit close together in the north. Expect the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and the Quiraing, with the Fairy Pools on the Inverness trip and the Cuillin and the black houses on the four-day trip.

What you see on the day depends on the weather. At Skye: Lusa, the Met Office station on the coast opposite Mallaig, it rains on 15 to 22 days a month. Pack for rain in any season, and read the weather by month before you pick your dates.

Can you do it yourself by car?

Yes, and it is the flexible version. Sleep in Fort William, ride the Jacobite from the station at 10:15, and come back at 16:03. The next morning, drive west and cross to Skye by road or by the ferry from Mallaig.

Two things change when you drive. The train is sold only as a return, so you cannot ride it one way and meet your car at Mallaig. And you need at least 20 minutes to park at Fort William station before the train leaves. Parking and roads are covered in getting to Fort William.

What luggage can you bring?

Less than you think. The two-day and four-day trips allow one bag of 15 kg at most, no larger than 55 × 40 × 20 cm, plus a small carry-on. The three-day trip from Edinburgh allows one suitcase of up to 15 kg and one carry-on.

Leave the rest at your Edinburgh or Inverness hotel. Pack a waterproof, layers and shoes that can take a wet path.

Which trip should you choose?

  • You want the train and Skye, and you are in Inverness: the three-day trip, with the ticket in the fare.
  • You want the train and Skye from Edinburgh: the four-day trip in summer.
  • You want Skye first: the three-day trip from Edinburgh, adding the train option if your dates allow.
  • You have only one night: the two-day trip, which rides the train but skips Skye.

Leave slack after any of them. Book onward travel at least three hours after the Inverness trip's scheduled return.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need for the Jacobite and Skye?
Three days is the shortest trip that rides the train and sleeps on Skye. The two-day trip rides the train but sleeps at Loch Ness and never reaches the island. Four days gives Skye a full day of its own.
Is there a ferry from Mallaig to Skye?
Yes. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye, and the four-day trip uses the crossing from Armadale to Mallaig. Other trips cross by road.
Do the Skye trips include the train all year?
No. The four-day trip rides the train in summer only, and the three-day trip from Edinburgh sells the ride only on April to October departures. In 2026 the Jacobite ran from 1 June to 23 October.
Can a solo traveller book a multi-day Jacobite trip?
Yes, but on the two- and four-day trips you must book the single room option, or the booking may not be accepted. On the others, check the room options on the booking page before you pay.
Which direction is the one-way Jacobite ride on a tour?
It depends on where the tour starts. The Edinburgh ride day boards at Mallaig and steams back to Fort William. The Inverness day and the Skye trip from Inverness board at Fort William and ride out to Mallaig.
How long do you get in Mallaig?
One hour 45 minutes on the morning service, between the 12:25 arrival and the 14:10 departure. Tours that ride one way spend anything from an hour to two hours 15 minutes there.

Where these facts come from

The train, the fares and the season come from the official pages below. Everything about a tour comes from its own booking page. Check both before you travel, because both change.

Trips with the train and Skye

Next: Picked your number of days? Every trip with nights sits beside the day tours on Jacobite Steam Train Tours.