The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Holidays
The nation famed for whisky, kilts and Highland hills, Scotland is a wonderful holiday location, only a train ride away.
Scotland doesn't waste an inch of its compact area in order to delight and impress visitors. The space between beautiful and historic cities such as Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee is filled with the breath-taking mountains, lochs, glens and valleys that have inspired poets, artists and visitors for hundreds of years. Wild and unspoilt, Scotland's landscapes are timeless, and few pleasures can compare with stepping aboard a magnificently-restored steam train and gently rolling through the dramatic heather-clad hills of the Scottish Highlands.
In truth Scotland is packed with unique and unforgettable experiences. Here you can search for a pre-historic monster that lurks beneath the placid surface of Loch Ness. You can visit one of Scotland's iconic distilleries and sample the finest single-malt whiskies in the world. Take a cruise to the ruggedly pretty Hebridean Islands, Orkney or Shetland. Witness the spectacle of the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. These are just a few of the countless pleasures that are you'll enjoy on an escorted rail holiday in Scotland with Great Rail Journeys.
Set in idyllic, undiscovered surroundings overlooking picturesque Loch Fyne, a 19th century Baronial Castle awaits you on this magnificent tour. Cruise the open waters to the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, explore nearby Oban and Inveraray.
… see more6 days from £895 pp
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Spend Christmas in Inverness, with hearty food, warming drinks, entertainment and festive cheer. Enjoy the proud cities of Edinburgh and Inverness and travel through the yuletide scenery on beautiful rail trips.
… see more6 days from £1,145 pp
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Majestic lochs and glens lie in wait as we cross Edinburgh and the Highlands and visit historic castles and the Isle of Mull. We travel through the West Highlands and Cairngorms on this fabulous round trip climaxing with a 'Scottish Evening' on Edinburgh's stately Royal Mile.
… see more8 days from £1,145 pp
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Breathtaking scenery and fantastic journeys by mainline and steam railways; this tour takes in the very best of northern Scotland from our base in Inverness - the gateway to your Highland adventure.
… see more4 days from £595 pp
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Imbued with centuries of history and culture, the UK is one of the most rewarding nations to travel around. Explore the length and breadth of Britain on this outstanding tour of the island. Discover ancient attractions, modern cities and wild landscapes from the rugged Rannoch Moor to the inspiring Stonehenge.
… see more13 days from £2,495 pp
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Enjoy an adventure to Scotland's idyllic Outer Hebrides and The Highlands on a tour that takes in two of the UK's most famous train lines, the West Highland and the Jacobite, as well as time in Stornoway and Isle of Barra.
… see more7 days from £1,295 pp
View tour details >Great Rail Journeys ensures that when customers select any of our superb escorted rail tours of Scotland they will enjoy the best possible experience and customer service and receive exceptional value for money. The cost of each of our Scottish rail holidays covers all travel arrangements, overnight accommodation, an itinerary of sightseeing excursions and guided tours that show Scotland at its best, and a selection of meals.
A helpful and experienced Tour Manager accompanies each of our rail tours of Scotland and can answer questions, provide assistance and offer information to help our guests to have a pleasureable and memorable time in Scotland.
We carefully plan our itineraries to include a selection the most interesting and enjoyable highlights among Scotland's many historic, cultural and natural attractions. These might include a journey along a scenic or heritage railway such as the Jacobite Steam Train or the Kyle Line, a visit to an historic castle, a cruise on Loch Lomond or a tour of a whisky distillery. Whatever your particular itinerary includes, we endeavour to choose excursions and activities that have something to delight every guest.
We only choose tour accommodations which are conveniently located, comfortable and provide excellent value, service and amenities. In order for guests to enjoy a friendlier and more personal service and to relax in informal surroundings we often opt for quality family-owned and run hotels.
From the moment our guests join Great Rail Journeys on an escorted rail tour of Scotland to the moment they return home we want them to enjoy a safe and stress-free holiday. As the UK's longest-established specialist rail tour operator our guests can take confidence from the fact that we are members of AITO and ABTA.
In the First Century AD, the hostile Pictish tribes that had settled in Scotland shortly after the last ice age, confounded attempts by the invading Romans to add the country to their empire. Instead, the Romans built Hadrian's Wall to prevent the 'barbarians' entering Roman Britain. That same spirit of fierce independence saw Scotland become an independent sovereign state in the Middle Ages; a status it retained until the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain, the union of England and Scotland, in 1707. Almost a century later political agreement with Ireland was reached and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was established. Despite this union with its closest neighbouring countries, Scotland's spirit of independence remains and the country has striven to protect its unique identity, character and culture and is fiercely proud of its notable achievements.
Despite its compact size, Scotland's climate is remarkably variable. Accusations of continuous rain throughout are exaggerated, although the Western Highlands are particularly wet. Scotland's high position in the northern Hemisphere means that it has longer daylight hours than other areas of Britain during the summer and shorter days during the winter. Whilst extreme temperatures are rare, January and February tend to be Scotland's coldest months although still mild with daytime maximum temperatures averaging between 5° to 7 °C. Late summer, July and August sees Scotland at its warmest when temperatures generally reach an average 19 °C.
Scotland has always benefited from an abundance of fresh local produce of excellent quality and this has shaped the country's cuisine, producing traditional dishes and specialities that have become globally recognised and renowned. Among some of the best Scottish fayre that our guests should sample is Haggis, Scottish Tablet, Cullen Skink, Aberdeen Angus Beef, Cranachan. Arbroath Smokies, and of course Whisky.
I lost my husband four years ago after 52 years. I was very reluctant to go on holiday on my own but decided to book a cruise around the islands and lochs of Scotland. I need not have worried - on arrival at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Edinburgh I was greeted by a kind and thoughtful team leader and introduced to the rest of the party, who welcomed me. After a drink in the bar we had a delicious dinner in the restaurant.
Next morning the view was spectacular as the train took us to Oban where the Lord of the Glens awaited us. My cabin was comfortable and beautifully serviced. The crew and the staff on the ship made the holiday a treat. The food was stunning and the scenery amazing, although it rained a lot it didn't spoil a wonderful holiday. Thank you Great Rail Journeys.
The best thing about a Great Rail Journeys holiday is that
everyone in your own party can enjoy magnificent scenery, without
the driver missing out. The accommodation is excellent, as are
the travel arrangements, and the Tour Managers do an excellent job
coping with everything that is thrown at them while you just
relax.
As a smoker I was very impressed with the Palace Hotel, Inverness.
I always request a smoking room - sometimes successful, sometimes
not. When my husband and myself checked in, the receptionist
noticed I had requested such a room, and both my husband
and I were surprised to find that our smoking room was at the front
of the hotel overlooking the river - usually they are at the back
of the hotel overlooking the bins, so well done Palace Hotel and
Great Rail Journeys.
Best wishes and keep up the good work.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. What a fabulous time we had.
Weather was not very good but the company, the crew, the
scenery, and not forgetting the food, absolutely made the
holiday. The food was magnificent. The staff waiting at the
tables were so friendly and obliging, it was a pleasure to be
served by them.
All in all a good time was had by all! We are now looking through
the brochures to see where we can go next year. Again, thank
you, thank you, thank you.
Where do I start listing the highlights of this holiday? There were so many!
The best was in Shetland. We got off the coach to look at the view expecting sea and sky. Then someone saw a black dot in the water. Then more dots appeared - seals. We looked down on the beach and there were at least a dozen, exposing their bellies to the rather meagre sunshine. Then it got better. We moved to another viewpoint and there were puffins, and more puffins, waddling about, whirring away like little helicopters and performing their beak tapping dance. It was magic.
The rest of the holiday was good. Well organised with everything going to plan. There was so much variety - historical sites like Skara Brae, amazing views such as Loch Ness - no monster, alas - good food, comfortable hotels and a first class Tour Manager. Thanks John.
We had a truly great time.
Our ship - MV Lord of the Glens - was very comfortable, and the crew were fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble for any of them. Especially Brian, our Ship Manager. The food also was truly amazing, when you consider the small space in which it was prepared.
Fantastic! The scenery was stunning, as you would doubtless expect in such a beautiful part of the country as the Hebrides.
By Lorna Heatley
19 September 2017
Sometimes, it is absolutely incredible to think about civilisations that no longer exist today - and even more incredible to think that relics from those times actually exist and are able to be seen and visited. Here are some of our favourite examples of ancient civilisations around the world.
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By Lorna Heatley
3 August 2017
What can be said about Scotland? For one, the scenery (providing it’s not so misty you can’t see the hand in front of your face) in this wild corner of the world can never just be ‘nice’ or ‘pretty’, it can only ever be breathtakingly dramatic, awe-inspiring, and slightly ominous, and you can see all of it in its disconcerting glory through its vast selection of rail journeys.
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By Sukie Chapman
12 May 2017
How many of us have wanted to walk straight into the pages of our favourite books? While it might not be possible quite yet to experience the lives of the fictional heroes and heroines we’ve walked side by side through life with for a little while, and sometimes who’d want to (think of just about any character from a Stephen King novel).
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By Joel Draba-Mann
7 July 2016
Steam Railways were once ubiquitous throughout Europe and the arrival of the railway was an integral moment in the Industrial Revolution.
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My wife and I were somewhat apprehensive about a rail holiday, so for starters we chose Highland Adventure.
This was attractive because, at 80 years of age and arthritic, we didn't want the trouble of carting cases around or changing hotels.
We travelled on the Calendonia Sleeper from Crewe at 23:54 on Tuesday, arriving Wednesday 08.30, and leaving Inverness at 20:47 to arrive in Crewe for 05:38 on Thursday. This gave us an extra two days in Inverness, where we had never been before, and just one additional night in Palace Hotel.
The hotel was good value for money with good food - clean rooms and pleasant helpful staff. Our Great Rail hostess, Louise Dryden, was superb, helpful and looked after our wellbeing in a very capable manner. We visited places we probably would not have managed on our own.
Superb break. The paperwork received was from GRJ was first class. Thanks to all.