Och aye! The weather caught up to us. This morning it was dark and damp with a heavy mist falling. The good news is that we booked the Jacobite Steam Train but the rain means the views won't be as good.

This is a classic rail journey to the western-most rail station in Britain - Mallaig. The cars are the old-fashioned bench cars and generally seat 64 per car in a 16s4 configuration one car, the one housing the gift shop, has the same hallway and cabin configuration seen in the Harry Potter movies. In fact, this steam train and parts of the line are used extensively in the movie.

The tracks parallel the A830 from Fort William to Mallaig. Along the way are great views of Loch Eil, the aqueduct at Glenfinnan (very familiar to Potter fans), Loch Eilt, Loch Ailort, Loch nan Uamh, and then the open sea with the Hebrides in the distance. We had patches where everything was clear and there were patches where the rain poured down so hard you could barely make out the vegetation on the side of the tracks. One thing was clear, the closer we got to Mallaig, the harder it rained.

At Mallaig, the train dislodged it's passengers to a downpour. We had scouted the restaurant using pamphlets on the train so we headed right for a fish and chips joint. It was very fresh and very filling. To kill the remaining time before heading back to the train, we ducked in and out of stores, lingering to stay drier.

On the return leg, the windows were fogged and it was tough to see. However, we did notice two curiosities. One - rain will drive the smoke and steam from the engine down towards the ground and really obscure your view. Two - when passing through a tunnel or under an overpass, smoke will get sucked into any open window.

Fortunately the rain started to lift as we reached Glenfinnan. Windows all along the right hade side opened and heads with cameras poked out trying to capture an image of the train and the aqueduct. So many people rushed to that side that I felt like we almost tipped the train!

Back in Fort William, we changed into drier clothes and had dinner. Walking back to the hotel, we saw a small parade of the Lochaber Schools Pipe Band. We followed them to the town square where an older gentleman - clearly the founder - explained some history of the band and told us what they were playing. He was especially proud of their performance of a march which was named after him.

Hotel: Alexandra Hotel
Restaurant(s): Cornerstone Cafe (Fish & Chips), Indian Garden (Indian)
Attractions: Jacobite Steam Train