Scenic Scottish Railways
Steaming through the Scottish Higlands
Scenic Scottish Railways
Scotland's north is blessed with scenic railway lines and we explore them on this tour, which includes visits to Eilean Donan Castle and the Boat of Garten along with a ride aboard the Jacobite steam train that crosses the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The challenge of building railways through some of the most difficult terrain in the British Isles was taken up by the great engineers of the Victorian age. Their legacy is in the sweeping curves and majestic viaducts of the single-track lines which cross wild moors and lonely glens and continue to provide important links to the north and west Highlands. Using scheduled diesel train services, we will travel northwards to Wick, following the coast as far as Helmsdale before sweeping inland through the wild and empty country of Sutherland and Caithness, and westwards to Kyle of Lochalsh, by Strath Bran and Strath Carron to the shores of Loch Alsh. We have the added attraction of steam haulage for our two other journeys. The ‘Jacobite’ ensures that the haunting sound of a steam whistle continues to echo around Glenfinnan, as the train crosses ‘Concrete Bob’ McAlpine’s magnificent viaduct on its way from Fort William to Mallaig. At Aviemore we take the train to Boat of Garten on the preserved Strathspey Line, which provides an authentic taste of the Golden Age of rail travel in the Highlands. NC500: Please note that this itinerary features part of the North Coast 500, the highly scenic coastal route which begins and ends in Inverness. The tour includes all local travel, accommodation throughout, three breakfasts and three dinners.
From £595 per adult
Departure days
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
May — October
Contact details
Eden Park House
Cupar
Fife
Scotland
KY15 4HS
Tour information
Tour Stops
Tour company information
Brightwater Holidays
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Brightwater Holidays is a well-established specialist in quality, escorted garden holidays and Scenic Scottish tours. The company won a bronze prize at the British Travel Awards in 2020 for Best Coach Holiday Company, and both gold and silver in the 2019 iteration of the awards ceremony for Best Coach Holiday Company and Best Special Interest Holiday Company respectively. It also has a dedicated Private Groups service, with the Private Groups Manager Jenni Duncan being shortlisted for Group Leisure & Travel’s Excellence Award in 2021.
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