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Scotland

Scotland doesn't waste an inch of its mountainous area in order to delight and impress visitors. The space between beautiful and historic cities such as GlasgowAberdeenEdinburgh 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.

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Holiday Ideas for Scotland

Edinburgh, Highlands & Islands
Save up to £100pp
4.3 stars(424 reviews)
2024MayJunJulAugSepOct
9 days from
£1,895 pp £1,795 pp
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The Outer Hebrides
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4.1 stars(117 reviews)
2024AprMayAugSep
8 days from
£1,755 pp £1,655 pp
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Skye, Orkney and the Wild North
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4.3 stars(26 reviews)
2024MayJunAugSep
8 days from
£1,595 pp £1,545 pp
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Highland Adventure
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4.2 stars(194 reviews)
2024MarAprMayJunJul...
5 days from
£795 pp £745 pp
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Brae
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4.0 stars(60 reviews)
2024AprMayJunSep
7 days from
£1,715 pp £1,665 pp
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The Aberdonian Steam Train - © Alan Weaver
Save up to £100pp
3.7 stars(38 reviews)
2024JulSep
5 days from
£1,195 pp £1,145 pp
View Details

13 results matching: Scotland

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Edinburgh
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Save up to £100pp
2024MarAprJunJulSepOct
7 days from
£1,395 pp £1,345 pp
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Save up to £100pp
7 days from
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£1,345
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Edinburgh, Highlands & Islands
Save up to £100pp
4.3 stars(424 reviews)
2024MayJunJulAugSepOct
9 days from
£1,895 pp £1,795 pp
View Details
Save up to £100pp
9 days from
£1,895
£1,795
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tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
The Outer Hebrides
Save up to £100pp
4.1 stars(117 reviews)
2024AprMayAugSep
8 days from
£1,755 pp £1,655 pp
View Details
Save up to £100pp
8 days from
£1,755
£1,655
per person
View Details
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsGlasgow
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Skye, Orkney and the Wild North
Save up to £100pp
4.3 stars(26 reviews)
2024MayJunAugSep
8 days from
£1,595 pp £1,545 pp
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Save up to £100pp
8 days from
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£1,545
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsGlasgow
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Highland Adventure
Save up to £100pp
4.2 stars(194 reviews)
2024MarAprMayJunJul...
5 days from
£795 pp £745 pp
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5 days from
£795
£745
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsInverness
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Edinburgh Tattoo
Save up to £100pp
4.7 stars(6 reviews)
2024Aug
4 days from
£645 pp £595 pp
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4 days from
£645
£595
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsDunblane
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
Brae
Save up to £100pp
4.0 stars(60 reviews)
2024AprMayJunSep
7 days from
£1,715 pp £1,665 pp
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Save up to £100pp
7 days from
£1,715
£1,665
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  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportCoach
Map and accommodation
The Aberdonian Steam Train - © Alan Weaver
Save up to £100pp
3.7 stars(38 reviews)
2024JulSep
5 days from
£1,195 pp £1,145 pp
View Details
Save up to £100pp
5 days from
£1,195
£1,145
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
7 days from
£1,695
per person
View Details
tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail
Map and accommodation
tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • Starts / EndsEdinburgh
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportRail, Coach
Map and accommodation
tour map
  • DestinationScotland
  • AccommodationHotel
  • TransportCoach
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  • DestinationEngland, Scotland
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Our customers love our Scotland tours
Orkney and the Shetland Isles
16/Sep
MW Salisbury
5 stars
“Our hectic tour of Shetlands and Orkney was well-planned by GRJ and executed excellently by our outstanding guide, Carly, in a pleasant professional manner ably supported by excellent local guides. The exceptional benign weather and calm seas added to our pleasure and enjoyment of this most memorable trip. Personally, I thought that there was too great an emphasis on archaeology at the expense of the Northern Isles' 18th to 20th Century heritage. There are minimal lift facilities at Inverness Station and all ferry terminals and no lift faculties at the Brae Hotel, Shetlands, Standing Stones Hotel, Orkney; the GRJ brochure should give greater emphasis to the importance of all travellers being capable of handling all of their baggage up and down steps easily. Some of our reserved train-seats were beside a pillar rather than a window so they were unable to see the fascinating two-hour train journey between Edinburgh to Aberdeen with crossings of the Forth and Tay rail-bridges and views over the Firths of Forth and Tay as well as the Montrose Basin nor the views of the Moray Firth and Cairngorms on the four-hour train journeys between Thurso and Inverness as well as Inverness and Edinburgh. The trains to and from Inverness were overcrowded and lacked sufficient luugage space; the Thurso train had no onboard refreshment facilities. I would recommend that there should be the opportunity to see the WW2 'Shetland Bus' - Norwegian Special Forces artefacts in the Scalloway Museum - if necessary at the expense of driving past Scalloway Castle. It might be worth considering extending the tour to include a visit to the new Scapa Flow Museum on Hoy. This was a demanding and enjoyable tour ably led by an experienced guide; the shortcomings of the Scotrail train services appeared to be largely beyond the remit of GRJ. Photographs: 1. Scalloway - WW2 'Shetland Bus' - Norwegian Special Forces Secret Base. 2. Italian Chapel, Churchill Barrier, Scapa Flow. 3. Walled Garden, Castle of Mey and Pentland Firth.
Collected by Trustpilot
Highland Adventure
12/Sep
Janet Jones
5 stars
“An absolutely marvellous experience with Clive Yates as our tour manager. Clive brought our trip alive with his rail knowledge and his love of Scotland.
Collected by Trustpilot
Peebles, the Edinburgh Tattoo and Floors Castle
9/Sep
J Urbanowski
5 stars
“Our trip with GRJ was excellent in every respect from dealing with the office staff, accommodation, meals provided, coach transport and the service of our Tour Manager.
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh Tattoo and the Highlands
29/Aug
B Derbyshire
5 stars
“First time on a trip like this, very well organised and very friendly
Collected by Trustpilot
The Outer Hebrides and the Highlands
13/Jul
David Butlin
5 stars
“A well organised and very pleasant tour. Good hotels and good food. A excellent way to see the islands and Highlands of Scotland.
Collected by Trustpilot
Grand Tour of the UK
22/May
S Burke
5 stars
“What made the tour spectacular was Tracey our tour manager. The hotels, tour guides, trips and the schedules were a lot of fun! Great trip
Collected by Trustpilot
Skye, Orkney and the Wild North
24/Sep
Patrick
4 stars
“excellent tour and guide.
Collected by Trustpilot
Edinburgh, the Highlands and Islands
20/Sep
Pam Highton
4 stars
“There is no denying that the Highlands provides spectacular scenery. Our tour was favoured by glorious sunshine for most of the time, with only a few grey days. Overall, I felt the days were too long, with too much time spent on the coach. That said, our driver Davy was superb and made the trip. The hotels were of a very high standard, with the exception of the Isles of Glencoe, where the staff were disinterested and, at times, downright rude. I was also given a room in the sub basement at the Mercure Haymarket, which had little natural light and was claustrophobic. I guess that’s the downside of being a single traveller. That said, I was soon given a room on the first floor. Big shout out to the restaurant manager who made me a meal despite the restaurant being closed. A big concern from my group was lack of timely information from the tour manager as we expected handouts of our itinerary for the day and lack of a contact number until the 5th day. Overall I enjoyed the trip and made some new friends along the way.
Collected by Trustpilot
Royal Deeside and the Tornado Steam Train
7/Aug
Diana Clarke
4 stars
“Enjoyable trip Not impressed with not getting final holiday details until a week before going Great tour manager David Indge who was very kind and helpful Loved the Highland cattle visit
Collected by Trustpilot
Discovering Scotland with Great Rail Journeys

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.

 

 

 

West Highland Line

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.

Scotland's Heritage Trains

Discover the fantastic railways of Scotland. It should come as no surprise that we love railways and we know many of you do too! That's why our tours feature some of the most iconic railways and trains on the continent.

Scotland Traveller's Guide

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.

 

 

Scotland's Climate

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.

Scottish Cuisine

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.

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