Steam meets Diesel

On our way home from four wonderful days on the edge of the UK mainland our train, operating on the single track from Mallaig to Glasgow via Fort William, passed the outbound Jacobite at Glenfinnan.

Our carriage window stopped adjacent to the steam engine's driver's cab. The driver is about to open the regulator to enable his six carriage train to pull forward to allow our four carriage diesel multiple unit to rejoin the single track and head to Crianlarich and from there to Glasgow Queen Street and back to Joppa via Waverley.

Despite the gloomy forecasts we barely saw a drop of rain in the four days away and our return journey today, with counterpoint views to those we enjoyed on the outward run, was laced with sunshine on some of the most remote areas of the UK.