For those who've never been to Scotland, you're missing out. Located in northern Great Britain, Scotland offers many treasures to travelers who visit. This country is famous for more than just its golf courses and kilts.
You'll find ancient castles, rolling green hills, big skies, colorful history, and spectacular wildlife. Then there's the food. From Scottish salmon to scallops from the Isles, farm-to-table vegetables and fruits, and local organic beef.
Whether you choose to visit Edinburgh (where J.K. Rowling is said to have written some of her book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), Fort William, Inverness, Mallaig, Glencoe, or the Isle of Skye, there's no doubt that you'll be captivated during your travels.
Did you know Scotland is also where you'll find some of the greatest rail journeys in the world?
One thing is for sure, there's no shortage of breathtaking landscapes to discover, especially from onboard the iconic Jacobite vintage steam train. Watch as the dramatic scenery unfolds from the window of a carriage as the train winds its way through enchanting valleys, mirror-like lochs and snow-capped mountain ranges before crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Follow along on this Journeys from a Rail Insider as Kelly Cronin, a Travel Consultant in our Laguna Hills office, takes you on our Complete Scotland by Rail vacation. Her firsthand experience just might make you want to book your next trip to Scotland!
Railbookers: Tell us about the experience onboard the train(s) during your Complete Scotland by Rail vacation:
Kelly Cronin: Departing from King's Cross station in London was quite exciting for me, especially being a big Harry Potter fan! They actually have a Platform 9 ¾ for you to visit! In order to get the train tickets, we had to do what is called “collect at station”. We were given unique identification numbers and entering them at the ticket machine was very simple and self-explanatory. To save us time later on, we collected all the tickets for our trip at once!
All of the journeys were scenic, but my favorite high-speed journey was from London to Edinburgh. When you first leave King's Cross station, you pass by Emirates Stadium, home of the Arsenal Football Club, which is the third largest football stadium in the UK! Traveling from London to Edinburgh actually follows the famous route called The Flying Scotsman, but now it travels the 393-mile journey at 125 miles per hour.
The train goes through many towns, including York, Durham, Newcastle, Berwick, lending the views to cathedrals, rivers, bridges and viaducts. There even is a sign on the tracks showing the half-way point between Edinburgh and London, but blink and you’ll miss it! I wasn’t expecting to also see the ocean, but as you cross the border into Scotland, the train hugs the coastline.
Onboard, the seats were quite comfortable, and the attendants brought coffee, tea and light snacks that were included in First Class. From London to Edinburgh and Inverness to London, we rode in First Class. However, from Edinburgh to Inverness, since it was a shorter journey, we decided to ride in standard class and put the money towards haggis and a spot of whiskey!
There also is a fully-stocked buffet car too. The free Wi-Fi throughout the train was a nice bonus as well. I was able to FaceTime my dad in California and show him the view of Edinburgh Castle from the train as we pulled into the Edinburgh Waverly station! The station was only a few minutes from our gorgeous hotel, The Waldorf Astoria Caledonian, making our travel extremely convenient with luggage.
What was the best part of your rail vacation through Scotland?
The Jacobite Steam train! If it isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be! Departing from Fort William, the largest town in the Highlands, the classic steam train is riddled with charm. First Class has lovely fabric seats, and all seats in both classes are around a table.
Because this train was made famous as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films, they serve non-alcoholic and alcoholic cocktails named Potions and Poisons, respectively. At each table, they have a handy guide showing you what sights to look for along the journey and the conductor also guides you over the loud speaker. The train travels from Fort William to the seaside port town of Mallaig, passing many lochs (lakes) and the famous 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct!
Overlooking Loch Sheil and the Jacobite monument, make sure you have your camera ready. However, if you miss the iconic photo this time, the journey is roundtrip, so you’ll get a second chance! The train stops at Glenfinnan station for a quick break to stretch your legs and visit the West Highland Railway Museum for a few pence. After Glenfinnan, the route passes the gorgeous villages of Lockailor, Morar and Arisaig, where you’ll make another small stop. The sky was so clear when I traveled, we could even see the “Small Isles” of Rum, Muck, Eigg, Canna and the southern tip of the Isle of Skye. Thank goodness the conductor was pointing everything out, so we didn’t miss a single sight!
When you arrive in Mallaig, you’re greeted by colorful sailboats rocking in the bay from the waves. We had a fabulous lunch of fish and chips, langoustines and cullen skink – a local recipe! Then we boarded the train back to Fort William taking in the views of the Highlands and Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Tell us about Isle of Skye:
The Isle of Skye day trip was magnificent! I had no idea we would be seeing SO much along the journey! As the Isle of Skye has always been seen as a magical place, our sightseeing was matched with myths and legends. Our tour departed from Inverness bus station, five minutes from the hotel, in a small coach. Our group was about 20 people, including our guide dressed in traditional Scottish garb, sporting a kilt! Throughout the day, we stopped at Loch Carron, Skye bridge, Eilean Donan castle, Urqhart castle, Portree and more! My favorite stop was by the Sligachan Bridge. The myth of the waters below the bridge was enchanting. On the Isle of Skye many years ago, there lived Scáthach, the greatest warrior woman of Scotland. The myth surrounding the waters was so enchanting, and legend has it that rinsing your face with the water grants eternal beauty!
What are three things you feel our clients would love about this trip?
ONE: The scenery! Whether walking the bustling cobblestone streets or cruising along Loch Ness, there is so much to see! Scotland is a wonderful collaboration of old history, rolling hills, endless lakes and wildlife. Fun fact – there are 6 million sheep roaming in Scotland, but only 5.5 million people!
TWO: The Jacobite Steam train!
THREE: The legends and charm of Scotland are unparalleled elsewhere. Before the trip, I wasn’t sure what my expectations would be of Scotland, but the wonder of the towns exceeded them.
What season did you travel? What was the weather like? I traveled in July! We anticipated rain, as the Highlands are known for misty weather, but the sun was shining the whole trip! There were nice breezes carrying the coolness of the lochs, so every day had pleasant weather.
Do you have any tips or advice to offer those considering taking this rail journey?
Book in advance! Many of the tours and train have such limited availability. I’m so glad I booked my Jacobite train ticket ahead of time – there is only one carriage for First Class and six carriages total! There were passengers who went to the train station hoping to simply buy a ticket there and they missed out on the trip!
Is there anything you wish you’d known before going on this trip?
I wish I had known how much there was to see in the cities. I imagined most of the activity to be taking place in the Highland countryside on day trips, but every city had so much to offer. I’m glad we took advantage of the hop-on hop-off passes, allowing us to see all of the major sights at least once!
Tell us about some more of the highlights traveling through Scotland.
In Edinburgh, I loved walking the Royal Mile and Victoria Street. The colorful buildings were stacked with shops – literally there are two floors to the street! The food was also spectacular. Even more spectacular was the whiskey! I did a Scottish Whiskey Tasting Experience along the Royal Mile, where I was able to learn about the different regions that Scottish whiskey comes from. I loved learning about how in the whiskey barrels, as it ages, it evaporates. The portion that evaporates is called the Angel’s Share! The more time passes, more whiskey travels to the heavens, so the little that remains is much more expensive!
In Inverness, the Loch Ness sightseeing cruise was so much fun! On the boat, there are two levels. The top level is open seating giving you open air views of the lake. On the second level, the seating is inside with a small souvenir spot and a snack cart. They even carry specialty brews like Nessie’s Monster Mash – a malty chestnut beer.
From your experience not only as a Railbookers employee but also as a first-time traveler to these places, what stood out to you about the overall experience of a Railbookers vacation?
The ease of the train journeys made traveling far distances so simple! Plus, it was much more comfortable than flying and you get to see everything in between! Planning our sightseeing and tours ahead of time helped tremendously too, so we weren’t overwhelmed by all of the options. I definitely will be heading back to Scotland.
