Britain boasts countless breathtaking scenic rail routes: the Riviera Line from Exeter to Paddington, the historic Snowdon Mountain Railway and Lowestoft to Norwich in Norfolk are all counted among the most beautiful train services in the world. Now, another UK rail route has been recognised among the planet’s best.
The West Highland Line in Scotland, perhaps best known for gliding over the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films, has been dubbed the ‘most scenic’ train route in the world by the Express. The newspaper consulted travel experts at the UK travel company Mickledore to come up with its ranking.
Starting at Queen Street Station in Glasgow and ending in Mallaig, a town in the west of Scotland, the West Highland Line spans 164 miles of stunning Scottish scenery. Running by Loch Lomond and Loch Etive, and passing through Trossachs National Park, the line splits at Crianlarich, carrying passengers either past Loch Awe to Oban, or high up to the boggy wilderness of Rannoch Moor.
According to Mickledore, the train ride provides passengers with ‘a living canvas of Scotland’, passing over more than 100 bridges and offering occasional glimpses of Ben Nevis, the UK’s tallest mountain.
In 2009, the West Highland Line was voted the most scenic railway in the world by Wanderlust magazine readers ahead of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the route to Machu Picchu, with the likes of The Telegraph and BBC also praising the route’s beautiful views.
There’s a variety of journeys to choose from – either Oban, Fort William, and Mallaig – with all West Highland Line services departing from Glasgow. Trip durations range from three hours and 20 minutes to five and a half hours, costing £39 for a standard return ticket and up to £425 for a first class compartment.
All train journey tickets can be booked via scotrail.co.uk.
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