Heritage Homes
and Gardens

The Royal Scotsman departs Edinburgh in the early afternoon and heads north, crossing the Forth Railway Bridge and following the east coast of Scotland. The first excursion comes at Montrose, where guests disembark for a visit to Pitmuies Garden, one of the finest private parks in Scotland, with walled garden and long borders have been tended with real care over many generations.

Breakfast is served as the train makes its way north through Inverness to Invergordon, where guests disembark for Foulis Castle, the 18th-century seat of the Clan Munro. Mrs Munro of Foulis and her son Hector, who holds the title of Clan Chief, welcome guests personally to the castle. The grounds and courtyard garden are open to explore, and Hector is available in the drawing room for a whisky tasting should guests prefer to spend the morning that way. The combination of the family welcome and the history of the property makes for a visit to remember.

The train then heads west past the Torridon mountains, through Achnashellach Forest and along Loch Carron towards the Kyle of Lochalsh. Lunch is served along the way and at Plockton guests disembark for a visit to Attadale on the west coast. This magnificent estate has a Water Garden, Japanese Garden and Sunken Garden among its features, all maintained to an exceptional standard in a dramatic setting on the shore of Loch Carron. An informal dinner follows on board and the train settles overnight at Kyle of Lochalsh, with coffee and liqueurs in the Observation Car.

After breakfast a drive takes guests across to the Isle of Skye and the 2,000-acre Clan Donald estate. The setting alone justifies the journey: the castle ruins, the formal gardens and the Sound of Sleat combine to create an atmosphere that few places in Scotland can match. The train collects everyone at Kyle of Lochalsh and a leisurely lunch is served as the route retraces part of yesterday's line as far as Dingwall.

This evening the train pauses at Carrbridge for a visit to Ballindalloch Castle, one of the most romantic privately owned castles in Scotland. The walled gardens have been carefully restored and the castle has been in the same family for nearly five centuries. The train then stables overnight at Boat of Garten on the private Strathspey Railway.

A coach takes guests to the Rothiemurchus Estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, where a tour of the parkland is available alongside a range of outdoor activities. The estate sits in exceptional scenery beneath the Cairngorm Mountains and the morning is well spent however it is used. Lunch is served on return to the train at Kingussie, and the journey heads south through Blair Atholl and Pitlochry.

The final visit of the itinerary is at Dunblane, where Kilbryde Castle and its gardens provide a fitting conclusion to five days of private estate visits. The gardens are particularly fine and the late afternoon timing gives the whole property a different quality of light. The train then heads to Dundee for a gala dinner, the most formal occasion of the journey, with entertainment on board and a final night in Dundee.

A final breakfast is served as the Royal Scotsman leaves Dundee and makes its way south through the Scottish countryside to Edinburgh, where the journey ends. Four nights visiting some of the finest private properties in Scotland, led in several cases by the families who own them. The Train Manager is available to arrange onward transport or accommodation in Edinburgh for those who need it.

Itineraries and timings shown may be changed for seasonal or operational reasons.