About The Heathers
The Heathers at Invergloy Halt sits on the site of one of 5 railway stations that serviced the Highland Railway Company's Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway. This line originally carried day trippers the 24 miles and 6 chains from Spean Bridge to Fort Augustus from where they could board a steamer to cruise the mystical waters of Loch Ness. Opened in July 1903, it never realised a profitable return and was destined to fail despite being subsidised. Closed in 1933 to all but a weekly coal train, the line was permanently decommissioned on 31 December 1946. Its track bed and one of its bridges are still, however, in evidence at The Heathers, the grounds of which are also skirted by the line of General Wade's Military Road. 

The Heathers' central location
The location of The Heathers provides an ideal central base for exploring The Highlands to best advantage. Round journeys to all the destinations shown - with plenty of time to spend when you get there - are easily achievable in a day. Alternatively, you can simply chill out and enjoy the local area, famed for its wide variety of outdoor pursuits, wildlife and numerous attractions and places of historical, geological and general interest.

From its position in the Great Glen The Heathers overlooks Loch Lochy towards Achnacarry, home of the Clan Cameron Museum and the World War II Royal Marine Commando Training Centre. The area is steeped in history with one of the most famous links to the past represented by the 'The Dark Mile' between Loch Lochy and Loch Arkaig where Bonnie Prince Charlie is alleged to have taken refuge with Cameron of Clunes after fleeing the Culloden battlefield in 1746. 

The scenery surrounding The Heathers is widely acknowledged to be amongst the most beautiful and breathtaking in the Scottish Highlands and serves as an ideal central base for Munro 'bagging' - 81 in the area so plenty of choice!  Often described as a natural outdoor playground, The Great Glen area with its mountains, glens, lochs and rivers, facilitates a full range of activities, from walking, –easygoing to more arduous trekking- mountain biking, bird-watching, fishing, golfing, sailing and loch cruises, right through to the more adventurous and organised activities including 4 x 4 driving and safaris, archery, clay pigeon shooting, paint ball, quad biking, canoeing, kayaking, canyoning, gorge walking, white water and scenic river rafting.

The Great Glen is also the largest and, one could argue, the most impressive geological feature in the UK, stretching from Loch Linnhe in the south to Loch Ness in the north and also incorporating Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain.  It is also, of course, home to the Caledonian Canal, the 60 mile long navigable waterway, principally engineered by Thomas Telford and providing through passage between The North Sea to The Atlantic Ocean since its opening in 1822. 

Some of The Many Attractions in The Area

The Jacobite Steam Train: Sometimes referred to as The Hogwarts Express, the Jacobite Steam Train plies between Fort William and the west coast fishing port of Mallaig during the summer months. Crossing the famous Glenfinnan viaduct at the head of Loch Shiel and passing though some of Scotland’s most glorious scenery, the popularity of this attraction can sometime require advance booking.

Caledonian Canal Locks: Whilst all the 24 man made miles of the canal are impressive, the two largest flights of locks, Neptune's Staircase at Fort William and the Fort Augustus locks permit a close-up view of boat traffic negotiating the canal system. With their adjacent turntable road bridges they represent a ‘must see’ for anyone with a marine or engineering interest.

The Nevis Range: Located on Aonach Mor, immediately north of Ben Nevis, The Nevis Range facilitates the winter sports of skiing and snow boarding etc., and is also a Mountain Biking World Cup venue accredited with having one of the best and most challenging courses available. In addition, Scotland’s only cable car permits everyone to ascend effortlessly up the mountain to experience some of the most wonderful views across The Highlands.

Castles: In a country renowned for castles the Great Glen permits easy access to the famous Urquhart Castle standing guard over Loch Ness as well as the slightly further distant but very impressive Eilean Donan Castle, reckoned by some to be the most romantic castle in Scotland .

The Ben Nevis Distillery: Located at the foot of The Ben, The Ben Nevis Distillery is the local producer of Scotland’s national drink and a popular venue for gaining a detailed insight into the whisky production process. For the connoisseur any further investigation deemed necessary is possible in an easy day’s excursion to the Whisky Trail distilleries in the Speyside area. 

So, whatever your interest, whatever your want there will always be somewhere, some place or some attraction to help make your visit to the Great Glen and the Scottish Highlands a unique and enjoyable experience.