Mallaig
Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland.
The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line (Fort William & Mallaig branch), completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road ‐ the "Road to the Isles".
Mallaig has grown hugely since the railway arrived. Ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne and Bruce Watt Sea Cruises sail from the port to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, Inverie in Knoydart, and to the isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna. Mallaig is the main commercial fishing port on the West Coast of Scotland, and during the 1970s was the main herring port of Europe. Mallaig prided itself at that time on its famous traditionally smoked kippers. Today only one traditional smokehouse remains, Jaffy's and Sons, owned by Jeff Lawrie. Mallaig and the surrounding area is a popular area for holidays.
Transport
The West Highland Line links Mallaig railway station by rail to Fort William, Oban and Glasgow. Sheil Buses run a bus from Mallaig to Acharacle. There are also ferry links from Mallaig to Ardvasar on the Isle of Skye, Lochboisdale, and the Small Isles.
Mallaig as a filming location
The Mallaig railway is used during the filming of the Harry Potter series of films, and the Hogwarts Express can be seen during periods of filming during the summer months. Many other local areas are used for location filming too. The 1996 film Breaking the Waves was largely filmed in Mallaig and the surrounding area, and the beach scenes of Local Hero were filmed at nearby Morar.
The smaller villages of Arisaig and Morar are located a few miles south of Mallaig.