DAY 1: Arrive in Edinburgh
![Arrive in Edinburgh]()
Welcome to the start of your Scotland rail vacation. Where better to start than the capital of Scotland? Edinburgh is a beautiful city known affectionately as Auld Reekie (Old Smoky) due to the coal smoke and smell that used to linger over the city in the 18th and 19th centuries. While the smoke cleared, the name stuck! Arrive in the city and meet your tour leader and travel companions in the afternoon. This evening, join your tour leader for an orientation tour. Look forward to visiting the famous Calton Hill which offers magnificent views of the city and Arthur’s Seat. Later, enjoy a welcome dinner at an Italian restaurant in the heart of the city.
Experiences
Edinburgh walking orientation tour with your tour leader: Set out on foot to explore some of the highlights of Edinburgh this evening! Head to Calton Hill, located at the end of famous Princes Street in the centre of the city, and take a stroll to the top where you’ll be treated to wonderful views of the city including vistas of Arthur’s Seat - an ancient volcano which is now an impressive hill popular with hikers. Calton Hill is home to a collection of historical monuments which form “Edinburgh’s Acropolis” and illustrate why the city has been nicknamed the “Athens of the north.”
Edinburgh dinner: Enjoy a delicious welcome dinner with your new travel friends at one of Scotland's highest-rated Italian restaurants.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Holiday Inn Express - Edinburgh City Centre
DAY 2: Edinburgh: Free Day
![Edinburgh: Free Day]()
Edinburgh is such an amazing city that one day is not enough to see everything! Today you have the whole day to explore. Discover famous sights such as the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, George IV Bridge, St Giles’ Cathedral and Greyfriars Bobby. Or even take a hike out to Arthur’s seat. You have the option to join your tour leader on a brilliant optional excursion this morning, where you dive into Edinburgh and explore the main highlights of the city. Visit Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens and enjoy a couple of hours to discover Edinburgh Castle. This evening we recommend joining your tour leader for a truly Scottish evening of great food, dancing, singing, bagpipes and haggis.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Holiday Inn Express - Edinburgh City Centre
Optional Excursions
- Spirit of Scotland Show i £75
- Conquer the Capital Edinburgh i £60
* Stated prices and availability are subject to change.DAY 3: Edinburgh - Pitlochry
![Edinburgh - Pitlochry]()
Today you will depart on your first rail adventure. Heading North into Perthshire on the Highland Main Line, enjoy views out of your train window, look out for the famous Forth Bridge, as you cross the Firth of Forth. Arriving at our destination, the Victorian town of Pitlochry, you will first have an included lunch before your tour leader takes you on a leisurely stroll around this small but charming town, which was much favoured by Queen Victoria, Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexander MacKenzie, the second Prime Minister of Canada.
Pitlochry is on the banks of the River Tummel, which you will see when you visit the Dam and Salmon Ladder, before arriving at the Blair Athol distillery for a tour and Scotch whisky tasting.
Experiences
Train Journey to Pitlochry: The first of your scenic train journeys take you out of Edinburgh, over the Forth Bridge past the city of Perth to the Perthshire highlands. With these trains, the journey is all part of the experience.
Included lunch in Pitlochry: Due to the trains being fast and direct you will arrive into Pitlochry before lunch. You will enjoy lunch at your hotel or a local restaurant upon arrival.
Pitlochry orientation walk: Your tour leader knows Pitlochry very well, and will show you around the sights. Be prepared for a very different experience to Edinburgh, as Pitlochry is much smaller, the population is less than 3,000 and the town is surrounded by natural beauty.
Blair Athol Whisky Distillery: For those of you who like whisky and the finer things in life, you are in for a treat. A fantastic tour of this famous distillery is completed with a tutored tasting of some of their finest Scotch whiskies. Slàinte Mhath!
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Fishers Hotel
DAY 4: Pitlochry - Inverness
![Pitlochry - Inverness]()
Today you set out on your second rail journey of the tour, and it will not disappoint. En route to Inverness, you will travel through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the UK. Be prepared for spectacular views of mountain passes, hilltops and heathland, and look out for the viaducts at Culloden and Tomatin. Arrive in Inverness, enjoy lunch and head out on an orientation tour of the city. Inverness means the Mouth of the River Ness, is considered to be the Gateway to the Highlands and is located between Loch Ness and the North Sea. This is the northernmost city in the UK and was also the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Today, it is considered one of Europe’s fastest-growing cities and also ranked as the happiest place in Scotland in a 2014 survey. It is also the best place on this tour for fresh seafood!
Experiences
Train through the Cairngorms National park to Inverness: Fantastic views from every angle as you ride through the largest national park in the UK. The highland plateau rises up and down as you journey through. Look out for wildlife and mountains, but also be prepared for rain and mist.
Included Inverness lunch: A light lunch will be served upon arrival in Inverness.
Inverness orientation walking tour with tour leader: Your tour leader will take you around Inverness, which is a very manageable city for walking. Learn more about Inverness which, with its strategic location, has become a very important city throughout the centuries. Sights will include: Inverness Castle, crossing the River Ness, St Andrew’s Cathedral and Balnain House and the Victorian Market.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Royal Highland Hotel
Optional Excursions
* Stated prices and availability are subject to change. DAY 5: Inverness - Loch Ness - Fort Augustus - Fort William
![Inverness - Loch Ness - Fort Augustus - Fort William]()
No trains today, as instead, you will be riding on road transport to Fort William along the entire length of Loch Ness, the largest body of water by volume in the UK, and home to the mythical Loch Ness monster! You will spend a few hours in Fort Augustus, where you will jump on board a Loch Ness cruise where you can try and spot Nessie. After an included lunch and some free time, you will continue on to Fort William. Located in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s largest mountain, the group will spend two nights in Fort William. Your tour leader will orientate you around Fort William before you have a free afternoon and evening.
Experiences
Drive along the banks of Loch Ness: There is no train that goes along the banks on Loch Ness, so this journey will be by road. 30 Miles of magnificent views of the UK’s largest lake - highlights will be views of Urquhart Castle and Invermoriston Falls.
Loch Ness Sightseeing cruise: Not only will you see Loch Ness from land, but also from the water. Make sure you keep your eyes open for the infamous Loch Ness monster, Nessie could be hiding anywhere.
Fort Augustus: In Fort Augustus, your tour leader will give you a quick orientation of the town, which has a population of less than 1,000. You will then have free time to take in the views, go for walks and do some shopping. Don’t miss the locks that connect the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness.
Fort Augustus lunch: You will enjoy a light lunch in Fort Augustus.
Fort William: After checking into your hotel, your tour leader will orientate you around Fort William, the second-largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness, with a population of 10,000. You will spend 2 nights here and have this evening free to explore.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
DAY 6: Fort William: Free Day
![Fort William: Free Day]()
Today you can enjoy an entire free day at your leisure. Fort William has a lot of outdoor activities on offer, from hiking Ben Nevis, to cycling and mountain biking. Join the highly-recommended optional tour of the famous Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig, which has been described as the greatest railway journey in the world. You may know this train better as the Hogwarts Express, and when you ride over the 21 arches of the engineering wonder of the Glenfinnan Viaduct you will be transported back to that famous scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In Mallaig, you will have time for fish ‘n’ chips lunch, before heading back to Fort William. *Please note that The Jacobite Steam Train does not operate between mid-November to mid-May. Outside these dates, we will travel on Scotrail's scheduled service.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Optional Excursions
- Jacobite Steam Train i £150
* Stated prices and availability are subject to change.DAY 7: Fort William - Glasgow
![Fort William - Glasgow]()
Today is our final train journey together and what a way to finish off the train travel! We will take the West Highland Line south to Glasgow. This journey is the highlight of the day, with fantastic views of Moors, mountains and lochs. In fact, you will pass Loch Treig, Laidon, Tulla, Lomond, Long and Gare before arriving into Glasgow. The route between Tulloch and Rannoch stations is not connected by roads, so you will be passing through true wilderness. On arrival into Glasgow, you will check into your hotel and then take an orientation walking tour with your tour leader before enjoying a farewell dinner together. This is the time to celebrate the great times you’ve had this past week.
Experiences
West Highland Line train Fort William to Glasgow: One of the greatest mainline trains in Europe, this 4-hour journey will be the pièce de résistance of your train tour of Scotland. Look out for beautiful lochs, moorland and mountains.
Glasgow orientation tour: Get to know the city centre of Glasgow, a city of 600,000 people, with your tour leader. You will visit George Square and Glasgow City Chambers, and the shopping area of Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street.
Farewell dinner in Glasgow: Enjoy a farewell feast in the city centre of Glasgow, this is the final dinner and time to say your goodbye to your fellow travellers and reflect on a memorable week.
Included Meals
Accommodationi
Hotel ibis Styles Glasgow Centre George Square
DAY 8: End of tour in Glasgow
![End of tour in Glasgow]()
Today marks the end of your Scotland rail tour, enjoy a hearty breakfast and allow yourself enough time to enjoy more sightseeing in Glasgow before you continue with your travels. From Glasgow, you can easily return back to Edinburgh, or both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are within easy reach. Be sure to swap contact details with your new travel friends. We hope you enjoyed your scenic train journey through Scotland!