Loch Ness and Jacobite Steam Train Full Day Tour from Inverness

Inverness, Scotland

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10+ bookings last month.

12 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Air-conditioned midi coach
Jacobite Steam Train one-way ticket (Fort William to Mallaig)
Local English-speaking Guide
Please note that the itinerary will be reversed on dates when the tour starts at 9:30am.

Lunch
Toilets on board
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

15 Union St, Inverness IV1 1JT, UK
Meet 15 minutes before departure, across from the Victorian Market entrance, for check-in. Look for a blue or yellow bus.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Start time
.7:30 am

Itinerary

Loch Ness

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Commando Memorial

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Jacobite Steam Train

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Mallaig

1 hour 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Glenfinnan

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fort Augustus

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Suidhe Viewpoint

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dores Beach

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

It is recommended to book transport to the departure point in advance. Please also allow extra time to get to the departure point for check-in. We advise you arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour departure to allow time to check-in for the tour. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold the bus or refund for any late arrivals.
Return times are approximate and subject to road conditions and weather. Please ensure you allocate sufficient time for any onward travel plans, allowing at least 3 hours after the scheduled return time for connections or activities.
Please note that the Jacobite Steam Train service may be subject to alterations and cancellations at short notice, outwith our control.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.6

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great tour through the highlands.

Brian_S, Sep 2026

The 12 hour coach tour was interesting and Iain Was our guide and driver. He was knowledgeable and everything went smoothly.

Fantastic Day

Alun_W, Jul 2026

Tour guide was excellent -extremely well versed on all topics and gave a great insight into every activity. Tour was really well organised and all activities went like clockwork - thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the trip - stunning views all round, great viewpoints and a magical experience on the Jakobit Express. Highly recommended

Steam Train

carolinemedford88, Oct 2025

This was fantastic the steam train was the highlight of the day. We loved mallaig for the restaurant the crab and reel. The day overall was fantastic. It was a great introduction to the highlands.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you for taking the time to leave us review of your experience! We're glad you had a fantastic time exploring the Scottish Highlands and enjoyed riding the Jacobite Steam Train. Thanks again and best wishes, Haggis Adventures

Disappointed

Theresa_K, Sep 2025

Our Driver, Ian, was wonderful. Very informative and the scenery was beautiful, but we didn’t get the Jacobite train experience as part of the tour due to a train out of service. That was very disappointing. We realize this was out of Ian’s control and not his fault but it left many of us upset. I would still recommend this tour and hope they had a better experience.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Theresa, Thank you for being so understanding regarding the very last minute service update we had received from the operator of The Jacobite Steam Train service, West Coast Railways. Whilst it was not possible for this journey to be hauled by the authentic steam train locomotive due to a breakdown, we do trust that the atmosphere and scenery of the journey as part of our 1 day Highlands tour package was enjoyable! Iain worked hard to manage this disruption and understandable disappointment professionally and made every attempt to deliver a high quality tour and so we thank you for recognising this! We hope to welcome you back for another wee adventure in the future! Kind regards, Amy- Reservations Supervisor- Haggis Adventures

Loch Ness & Jacobite Steam Train Tour

Jeffrey_D, Aug 2025

Weather will have a big effect on the tour especially what you can see through the train windows. Our tour guide, Karen, was excellent. She was very accommodating to the members on the tour. The tour is ALL DAY.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 4 star review of your recent tour experience on the Loch Ness and the steam train . We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Karen. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Haggis Adventures

Amazing!

katherine_l, Aug 2025

This was an outstanding trip worth every penny! The guide was amazing. The driver was wonderful, everything was easy and well organized. The train was a really neat experience. The sites were beautiful. I would go on this trip again tomorrow.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent Jacobite steam train tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with us. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Haggis Adventures

LONG day and not a steam train at all!

Marion_H, Jun 2025

Our tour guide Sonia was absolutely incredible! Knowledgeable, friendly, and personable for the entire day! There are two reasons I’m not giving it five stars, however: 1) This was advertised as the Jacobite Steam Train, which we were very much looking forward to and was the primary reason we booked this experience, but it was not a steam train at all. Very disappointing. 2) It was booked as a 10 hour tour, and ended up actually being a 12 hour tour. While the Scottish countryside is absolutely lovely, 12 hours is a substantially long time, and those extra two hours felt like a lot. More importantly, this also meant we got back into Inverness after most of the kitchens had closed at 9pm for the evening. There were a few restaurants we were interested in trying, and they were all closed by the time we showed up at 9:45pm! We ended up getting the last two pizzas available at a pub - which were delicious, but not at all our original plan. Viator - It would have been nice to be notified in advance about either or both of these issues. We realize some things are out of your control - but advance notification helps travelers make or adapt their plans - and there’s no reason this information could not have been communicated in advance. We were told it hasn’t been a steam train for quite awhile now. Further, it’s clear you combined the 10 hour and the 12 hour tours you sell - but we chose the 10 hour one intentionally around dinner plans in Inverness.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Marion, we wanted to thank you for sharing your feedback following your tour earlier this season and wanted to share our findings following our team's investigation of your comments. Firstly, we are really pleased that you enjoyed the company and information shared by our amazing driver guide Sonia throughout your tour. Our driver guides are passionate about sharing local knowledge and embodying the spirit of Scotland's famous Highland Hospitality! We are very sorry that due to an unexpected breakdown of the steam locomotive, West Coast Railways did not have opportunity to make us aware of this update prior to your departure as this breakdown was last minute and unforeseen. As the operator, West Coast Railways will always look to substitute the locomotive used to haul the Jacobite Carriages to ensure passengers can receive and enjoy the same atmospheric journey and will always look to minimise disruption to their service this way. They mention their right to do this in their booking terms which we also reiterate in our booking terms. We regret that this caused disappointment during the tour and understand the frustrations you have expressed. Regarding the timings of this tour, Viator and ourselves do advertise this tour as being a full 12 hour day and the departure time can either be at 07.30am-20.00pm or 09.30am-21.45pm. The timings for each tour are subject to which tickets we receive from West Coast Railways for the train as we will either take the morning service from Fort William-Mallaig at 10.15am for the earlier departure or will operate the tour itinerary in reverse to take the Mallaig-Fort William service at 17.00pm for our later departure. Your e-ticket will always specify the departure and return times to allow you advance notice of our schedule and to offer you opportunity to make plans prior to or following your tour. Whilst this tour is a long day, we also incorporate multiple stops as comfort breaks to enjoy refreshment throughout the tour. We regret if there had been any confusion regarding the schedule of our tour and hope to have offered clarification here. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure in the future! With warm wishes, Amy

Very expensive, poorly managed, not very interesting

Nathalie_B, Aug 2026

This excursion is very expensive for what it is, poorly managed, and not worth it: 1) An enormous amount of time on the bus for very few stops (except for the "pee breaks," which seem to be the guide's only concern) and always very short; some, like Urquhart Castle, are seen from very far away, from the side of the road! You spend the whole day just appreciating the splendid landscapes at full speed from the bus... 2) The guide drove very fast and talked way, way too much, mostly to tell endless, uninteresting anecdotes; when it is not your native language, you quickly tune out... And even when it is your language, this uninterrupted flow of words is annoying in the long run. 3) As for the trip on the Jacobite train, it's a bit of a rip-off! You cannot actually choose your seat (they are already assigned and you cannot change them), which means that if you are on the wrong side, you see nothing of the day's attraction, that is to say, the crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct ☹️😡!!! The guide covers himself beforehand by announcing that it is the train company that assigns the seats, not them... But precisely, given that we only do the one-way trip, couldn't this tour operator negotiate with the railway company so that the whole group is placed on the right side (the left in the direction of Fort William - Mallaig)??? That would be the least they could do, given the price! What you need to know is that if you book your tickets for the Jacobite train yourself, you are required to take the round trip and will occupy the same seats for both journeys, which de facto guarantees you will be well-placed on the way there or back to see the viaduct well! 4) Some stops are not made under fallacious pretexts. For example, on the way back, we pass in the immediate vicinity of the Glenfinnan Viaduct and do not stop because there is no room to park! There is indeed a large parking lot near the viaduct, where the flow of vehicles is managed by a company with attendants; here again, as a tour operator, couldn't this be better managed & negotiated with this company to guarantee a spot during the passing window, which is constant?? Similarly, still on the way back, we pass through a mountain pass where the view of Loch Ness is breathtaking, and we don't stop there either, on the pretext that a resident whose house is located near the place where you can park complains every time (if I understood correctly: as mentioned above, the guide talked an enormous amount and very fast). All of this is very frustrating... 5) For the lunch break (quite short) in Mallaig, plan your meal because there are few restaurants and cafes and they are stormed! We had planned our snacks, so it was not a problem for us, but this could be specified in the trip description. In short, to summarize, total disappointment for this long and poorly managed trip, where you are dragged around on a bus all day without ever really being able to admire the scenery ☹️... If you don't have a car, you can nevertheless do this excursion on your own by public transport: take a bus or a normal train to Fort William, then book the round trip on the Jacobite train; you will see just as much and it will cost you much less!

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Response from Host, Sep 2026

Good Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent Loch Ness and Jacobite Steam Train Full Day Tour from Inverness with us. Our teams greatly value all feedback as we continually look to develop and improve upon our tour products for all future passengers. Your feedback has been duly noted. We regret that aspects of this tour did not meet your expectations and have taken the time to review your comments about the locations, stops, toilet break stops, steam train and have forwarded these to the relevant departments. We allocate the seats for the train on the day from the ones given to us by our operations team. It is not always possible to guarantee a request to sit on the right hand side of the train, and we only have limited seats on this side. Whilst we appreciate your concerns, we have checked and although the journey can go through windy roads and uneven terrain, our driver guide was very safe and was travelling well within the speed limits, and is an experienced driver guide. We are disappointed to hear your views on the commentary from the guide as we always have time each day on our tours for stories and music to blend in with the tour so the driver guide shares the knowledge of their history whilst guiding you around and stopping off at the main sights on route on the tour. In conclusion, the comfort and satisfaction of our passengers is the most important thing to us, and we are sorry that you were unhappy with certain aspects of your tour. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on tour in the future and trust that your visit to Scotland has been enjoyable! Kind regards, The Haggis Adventures Team

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