Steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands
12 DAYS

Explore Scotland by Rail

Glasgow – Fort William – Isle of Skye – Inverness – Aberdeen – Stirling – Edinburgh

Day 1. Glasgow – Arrival & Kelvingrove

Arrive in Glasgow. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. National Piping Centre. Overnight in Glasgow.

Day 2. Glasgow to Fort William – West Highland Line

Board the West Highland Line – one of the world's great railway journeys, through extraordinary Highland scenery. Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis – Britain's highest mountain (1,345m). Overnight in Fort William.

Day 3. Fort William to Isle of Skye – Jacobite Steam Train & Ferry

Morning: the Jacobite Steam Train (the “Hogwarts Express”) across the extraordinary Glenfinnan Viaduct with views to Loch Shiel. Ferry from Mallaig to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. Overnight on Skye.

Day 4. Isle of Skye – Old Man of Storr & Fairy Pools

Full day on Skye: the extraordinary Storr – the Old Man of Storr geological formation on the Trotternish Peninsula. Fairy Pools – the extraordinary clear crystal waterfalls and pools above Glen Brittle. Dunvegan Castle – the ancestral home of the MacLeod clan. Overnight on Skye.

Day 5. Isle of Skye to Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh

Ferry back to Kyle of Lochalsh. Train to Inverness through the extraordinary Highland landscapes. Overnight in Inverness.

Day 6. Inverness – Loch Ness, Culloden & Urquhart Castle

Loch Ness cruise. Urquhart Castle. Culloden Battlefield. Cawdor Castle. Overnight in Inverness.

Day 7. Inverness to Aberdeen – Royal Deeside

Train to Aberdeen via Inverness. Royal Deeside: Balmoral Castle – the Scottish residence of the British Royal Family. Glamis Castle – the most haunted castle in Scotland, ancestral home of the Bowes-Lyon family. Overnight in Aberdeen.

Day 8. Aberdeen – Coastal Trail & Maritime Museum

Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Old Aberdeen Cathedral. Aberdeen Fish Market at dawn. Afternoon: castle trail – the Grampian castles of Craigievar and Crathes. Overnight in Aberdeen.

Day 9. Aberdeen to Stirling – Train

Train to Stirling. Stirling Castle – the extraordinary royal fortress overlooking the battlefield of Bannockburn (1314) and the Wallace Monument (1869). Overnight in Stirling.

Day 10. Stirling to Edinburgh – Train

Train to Edinburgh. Arrive and explore the Royal Mile. Evening: Scottish Whisky Experience or traditional pub. Overnight in Edinburgh.

Day 11. Edinburgh – Castle, Holyrood & New Town

Edinburgh Castle and Scottish Crown Jewels. Holyrood Palace. Scottish National Gallery. Georgian New Town. Overnight in Edinburgh.

Day 12. Edinburgh – Departure

Transfer to Edinburgh Airport for onward travel.

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

The West Highland Railway Line
The West Highland Railway Line
Fort William
Fort William
The Jacobite ('The Hogwarts Express') Steam Train
The Jacobite ('The Hogwarts Express') Steam Train
The Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye
Inverness
Inverness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Balmoral Castle, Deeside
Balmoral Castle, Deeside
Glamis Castle, Angus
Glamis Castle, Angus
Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire
Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire

ACCOMMODATIONS

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Glasgow

★★★★★
  • Blythswood Square Hotel Glasgow
  • Kimpton Blythswood Square Glasgow
  • Grand Central Hotel Glasgow
★★★★
  • Radisson Blu Hotel Glasgow
  • AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow
  • Hotel Indigo Glasgow
★★★
  • ibis Glasgow City Centre
  • Premier Inn Glasgow City Centre
  • Travelodge Glasgow Central

Edinburgh

★★★★★
  • The Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh
  • Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh The Caledonian
  • Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh
★★★★
  • Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh
  • Marriott Edinburgh
  • Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh
★★★
  • ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile
  • Travelodge Edinburgh Central
  • Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre
Hotel room interior
Must try

FOOD

Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink

A thick Scottish soup, typically made of smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions; an authentic Cullen skink will use finnan haddie, but it may be prepared with any other undyed smoked haddock; ocean perch or salmon are also often used in the soup.

Neeps and Tatties

Neeps and Tatties

A traditional Scottish dish of yellow turnips or swedes, which are peeled, boiled, and coarsely mashed with butter, salt, and pepper ('neeps') and potatoes, which are peeled, boiled and smoothly mashed with butter and milk ('tatties'), most famously served alongside haggis.

Stovies

Stovies

A Scottish dish containing potatoes, fat, onions and often pieces of meat; the potatoes are cooked by slow stewing in a closed pot with the fat and often a small amount of water or other liquids, such as milk or stock; served with cold meat, oatcakes and, sometimes, pickled beetroot.

RESTAURANT

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Halal Certified

Glasgow

  1. Shimla Pinks – Award-winning Indian halal restaurant in Glasgow's West End, innovative cuisine
  2. Mother India's Café – Halal Indian food, West End, famous for unique thali-style sharing plates
  3. Al Salam Glasgow – Lebanese halal restaurant, mezze and grills, popular with Muslim community
  4. Istanbul Glasgow – Turkish halal grill in Glasgow city centre, doner and pide
  5. Basmati Glasgow – Pakistani halal cuisine, highly rated, generous biryani and karahi dishes

Edinburgh

  1. Mosque Kitchen Edinburgh – Beloved halal canteen next to Edinburgh Central Mosque, legendary value
  2. Kismot – Award-winning Sri Lankan-Indian halal restaurant, Newington, unique regional curries
  3. Khushboo Indian Restaurant – Indian halal restaurant in Haymarket, popular with Muslim visitors
  4. Istanbul Edinburgh – Turkish halal restaurant near the Old Town, grills and meze
  5. Al-Baraka Edinburgh – Middle Eastern halal food near the university, generous portions
Halal restaurant interior

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