Jacobite Steam Train multi-day tours put a night or more between you and the long road home. You ride the train one way, sleep in a bed and breakfast, and on most trips cross to Skye.
Three days from 15 Union Street in Inverness at 7:30am. You ride the Jacobite to Mallaig, cross to Skye and sleep two nights in Portree, with the Fairy Pools, the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr between. Sixteen people at most.
From $752 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four days, three nights, 16 people at most. Glen Coe and Fort Augustus first, Eilean Donan Castle and two Skye nights next, then the Armadale ferry and the Jacobite to Fort William on the last summer morning.
From $1,044 per person
Full refund if cancelled up to 28 days in advance
Three days with two nights on Skye and full Scottish breakfasts. The train is the dearer option, April to October only, and the headline fare is without it. Bring one suitcase of 15 kg at most and a carry-on.
From $487 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
One night in Fort Augustus, at the south end of Loch Ness, and a one-way Jacobite ride on day two. The Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle cost £31 extra for an adult. Single travellers book the single room.
From $469 per person
Full refund if cancelled up to 14 days in advance
Ride the Jacobite to Mallaig, cross to Skye and sleep two nights in Portree, with 16 people at most, for $752 a person.
Check availabilityIt is a trip of two to four days that puts the train inside a longer Highland route. You sleep on the way, in Fort Augustus, Portree or elsewhere on Skye, and breakfast is in the fare.
The Jacobite is one day of it. You ride one way, and the coach carries you on. Because Mallaig is the port for Skye, most of these trips cross to the island next.
A day tour from Edinburgh spends most of its 13 hours on the road. With nights in the trip, the drive is split up and the train day ends somewhere worth waking up in.
From Mallaig the ferries leave for Skye. Most of these trips sleep on the island, with the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and the Quiraing on the way. The routes are compared in the Jacobite and Skye in two to four days.
You pay once for the coach, the guide, the nights and breakfast. Lunch and dinner are yours, which leaves you free to eat where you like.
The Inverness trip and the four-day trip take 16 people at most. The three-day trip from Edinburgh travels by Mercedes-Benz midi-coach.
The alternative is to do it in pieces: a day tour for the train, then Skye on your own. Here is how the two compare.
| A multi-day tour | A day tour, then Skye yourself | |
|---|---|---|
| The Jacobite | One way, in the fare or as an option | One way on a ride day, from $261 |
| Getting to Skye | In the fare | Your own car, or the ferry from Mallaig |
| Beds | Booked for you, breakfast included | You book them |
| Guide | The whole way | On the day tour only |
| Fare | $469 to $1,044 a person | $261 a person, then your own costs |
| Flexibility | Fixed itinerary, which can change with the weather | Your own pace |
If you drive, the plan in the Jacobite without a tour shows how to ride the train from Fort William and go on to Skye yourself.
Glen Coe and Fort Augustus, then Eilean Donan Castle and two nights on Skye, then the Armadale ferry and the Jacobite to Fort William in summer, for $1,044 a person.
Check availabilityWhat each fare buys, and what the direct ticket costs, is compared in Jacobite ticket prices, direct and on tours.
Anyone who only wants the ride. A day tour or a direct ticket costs far less. See day tours with the Jacobite.
Anyone travelling with a big suitcase. The trips from Edinburgh allow 15 kg each. Leave the rest at your hotel, or drive yourself.
Anyone whose dates may move. The two-day and four-day trips need 14 and 28 days' notice for a full refund. A day tour with 24 hours' notice is safer.
Families with children under three. The two- and four-day trips take children from three, and the three-day trips from five.
Trips with nights, day tours and the direct ticket sit side by side on Jacobite Steam Train Tours.