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Discover wild, romantic Scotland by rail - travel in style. |
| Self-guided rail tour, 13 days from and to Edinburgh, with three choices of accommodation. Also as a variation, a self-guided walking tour away from roads. You get from us a superb choice of idyllic short walks and rewarding longer walks described in detail, which you can enjoy on this tour. |
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Travelling by train through Scotland combines the romance of the railways with the enjoyment, in comfort, of overwhelming natural beauty. Queen Victoria and countless writers, composers and poets have known how to treasure this means of travel. Allow yourself to be enchanted too by lingering mists in wild, romantic glens. Discover landscapes from the wild-flower meadows of the island glens to the world of mountain ranges and waterfalls of the northern Highlands. Travel in style - in Scotland the romance of the railways lives on. |
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Views of tremendous cliffs surmounted by ancient fortresses, bizarre rock formations and caves, deserted beaches of white sand, with dream-like vistas over the Hebridean islands, and picturesque fishing villages constitute the charm of rail journeys in Scotland.
Be astonished by the bold viaducts and daring achievements of pioneering engineers, such as the world-famous Forth Railway Bridge. Encounter the impressive monuments of Scotland’s turbulent history as you follow winding railways through deep glens. |
The capital city, Edinburgh, with its abundant choice of cultural activities, and a flexible and varied sightseeing programme which includes castles, distilleries, woollen mills, cosy little Highland towns and manyother attractions complement a successful discovery tour of Scotland.
The trains have open plan carriages with large windows and comfortable seating in double rows facing both forward and rearward. There are numerous tables for four. All trains have a drinks and snacks service from a trolley which is pushed along the aisles. |
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The Itinerary
• Day 1 Sunday: Arrive Edinburgh Airport. Transfer to the type of accommodation booked. • Day 2 Monday: Edinburgh. Use the time for: - city tour (included in the price), departing every 30 minutes - sightseeing: castle, museums, Calton Hill, galleries - short hike on Edinburgh’s mountain, Arthur’s Seat - in the evening, perhaps a historic ghost tour, pub crawl, jazz club or Scottish evening - alternatively, day trips may be made from Edinburgh, for example, to Glasgow, St Andrews (Mecca of golf) or Berwick upon Tweed. - overnight in Edinburgh • Day 3 Tuesday: a further day in Edinburgh, or in the beautiful Scottish Borders. Round trip first south-westerly through the delightful Border Region, over the border into England and a stopover in the former frontier town of Carlisle. A visit to the imposing castle or the impressive cathedral is well worth while. For those interested in art and history Tullie House Museum has much to offer. Finally, travel on via Glasgow (anyone who wishes has time to visit the city) and back to Edinburgh. • Day 4 Wednesday: by rail to Oban. The option of making a stop in Glasgow or travelling directly on to the attractive harbour town of Oban on Scotland’s west coast. • Day 5 Thursday: Oban or an islands trip (extra cost) to Mull, continuing to the cradle of Christianity, the island of Iona. In Oban also possibilities of a stroll round the town and harbour, visit to Oban Distillery or Oban Fisheries (fishery, salmon farm), walk to MacCaig’s Tower, visit Dunstaffnage Castle, cafés, fine pubs. • Day 6 Friday: Oban to Mallaig.The West Highland Line is the “Road to the Isles” over wild Rannoch moor to the Atlantic coast at Mallaig. Here you are in the historic and scenic “movie Scotland” (Highlander, Rob Roy, Braveheart) of the Western Highlands.  • Days 7 and 8 Saturday and Sunday: Mallaig. Wander through the small seaside town with its ferry port. How about a day trip to the seat of clan Donald? You will be enchanted by Armadale Castle’s superb gardens on the Isle of Skye. Or take a picnic on a visit to the Small Isles, Rum, Eigg and Muck. Experience idyllic shorter walks or impressive longer ones, for example beside Loch Morar, Europe’s deepest lake, or further afield to wild Knoydart, a walker’s paradise. The warm Gulf Stream invites you to bathe. Rent a bike or a car for the day, or play golf on Arisaig links. You can even climb Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Stop over in Fort William and Glenfinnan for shopping, museums, boat trips and much more. A historic steam train leaves daily for Fort William. Day 9 Monday: The wild, wild west. You have a choice: - either a romantic ferry trip to the Isle of Skye followed by a scenic bus journey across the island and back to the mainland over the famous Skye Bridge. Some free time in the harbour town of Kyle of Lochalsh. Finally, a wonderful railway journey through the lonely north-west of Scotland to Inverness. - or train to Fort William, continuing by bus through The Great Glen, along the banks of Loch Ness to Inverness. You can discover the attractive “capital” of the Highlands on foot in the evening. Day 10 Tuesday: Celts, kilts and monsters in Inverness and Loch Ness, or to the north coast at Thurso, or the granite city of Aberdeen. Probably today you will wish to make the acquaintance of the Loch Ness Monster which can be done by taking a service bus or an organised trip (additional cost). Anyone who has visited Loch Ness the day before on the way to Inverness, or who leaves Inverness in the early evening of day 11, will perhaps appreciate a pleasant day’s outing by rail to the north coast at Thurso or to the east coast at Aberdeen.  Day 11 Wednesday: in the Central Highlands. Today you have the option of either spending the whole day in Inverness or of continuing your journey in the morning by train to Pitlochry in the heart of the Central Highlands. Day 12 Thursday: Central Highlands. Enjoy the beauty of a world of mountains, waterfalls and lochs. Experience a scenic walk on Ben Vrackie mountain, or along the picturesque River Tummel to Killiecrankie, or the outlook from Queen’s View. Visit the imposing ducal seat, Blair Castle and its grounds, and the famous salmon ladder. A special recommendation is a visit to Scotland’s smallest distillery. Day 13 By rail to Edinburgh, airport transfer, departure or next tour programme.
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