Road to the Isles
The famous 'Road to the Isles' is a route that passes through some of the most truly magnificent scenery in the Highlands, and one which will always be inextricably linked with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the ill-fated Jacobite Rising of 1745.
Heading west along the Road to the Isles from Corpach, the first diversion is the village of Glenfinnan, with its stirring setting at the head of Loch Shiel. The Glenfinnan Viaduct carries the West Highland railway line - one of the most famous railway journeys in the world - and the Hogwart's Express. Nearby is the Glenfinnan Monument, erected in 1815 as a tribute to all those that fought and died in the Jacobite cause. It was near here in August 1745 that the clansmen first rallied to the Standard of Prince Charles Edward Stuart - or Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The scenery is superb all the way. West of Glenfinnan, the road skirts Loch Eilt to reach the village of Lochailort. A few miles from the village, you pass Loch nan Uamh where a stone cairn marks the bay where Prince Charlie left Scotland, never to return, in September 1746. Beyond here, as the road twists north past the sandy beaches (and the beautiful nine-hole Traigh golf course) of Arisaig, the views out to Skye and the Small Isles are breathtaking. In Arisaig itself, don't miss the Land Sea and Islands Centre, with its exhibition that celebrates the social and natural history of the area, along with photographic displays and artefacts.
The end of the road is Mallaig, from where the ferry sails for Skye. Stop to soak up the atmosphere of a working fishing port, and and visit the Mallaig Heritage Centre where you can learn about the history and culture of the 'Rough Bounds' - as west Lochaber has long been known on account of its rugged landscape and historical inaccessibility.
