Wild
Scotland

The Royal Scotsman departs Edinburgh Waverley in the early afternoon and heads west through Falkirk to Craigendoran, the starting point for the West Highland Line. Afternoon tea is served as Loch Lomond comes into view, and the train begins the climb up Glen Falloch, a glen known for its waterfalls and increasingly dramatic scenery. The route continues north past Crianlarich, the Bridge of Orchy and the vast, treeless expanse of Rannoch Moor before reaching the village of Spean Bridge, where the train stables for the night.

Enjoy a sumptuous dinner on board this evening, before moving to the Observation Car for entertainment afterwards. It is a good evening to begin talking to fellow guests about the two days of outdoor activity ahead.

After breakfast the RVIVAL team takes over. RVIVAL are specialists in private, skill-based wilderness experiences, and the two days they lead are designed around the idea of reconnecting with the landscape and its traditional knowledge at whatever pace suits you. Activities are pre-chosen before departure and might include anything from a ropes course to a hike through the Highland terrain, but the emphasis throughout is on the land: its sources of food, its folklore and the skills that have kept people alive in it for centuries.

The day is built around foraging and exploring a hidden location that the RVIVAL guides know well, uncovering the knowledge held in the local flora and fauna and practising elemental traditions that connect this landscape to its people. A fire-feast picnic is served over open flames using seasonal ingredients gathered that day, with wild cocktails to accompany. Swimming in a nearby loch or river is available for those who want it, and the afternoon ends around the campfire with the kind of conversation that tends to happen after a day spent outdoors in good company.

The train is waiting at Spean Bridge on the return, and a hot shower, a nip of whisky and a dinner celebrating Scotland's natural larder are a very good way to end the day.

After a leisurely morning on board the train travels south to Wemyss Bay, where the RVIVAL guides are waiting. A Second World War landing craft provides the crossing to the Isle of Bute, which sets the tone for a day that takes its inspiration from the coast and the sea. Foraging for sea herbs and shells, learning the coastal skills that were once essential to survival in this part of Scotland, and preparing lobster, crab and scallops over open flames form the heart of the afternoon.

The seafood is prepared on the day: the RVIVAL team dives for the scallops themselves, and everything else is gathered from the shoreline and the surrounding water. Swimming in the sea is available for those inclined, or simply sitting by the waves while the RVIVAL specialists share the stories and knowledge that connect this coastline to the people who have lived on it for centuries. A celebratory fireside feast concludes the day before the return crossing to Wemyss Bay and a final, warm and unhurried night on board the Royal Scotsman.

A leisurely breakfast is served as the train makes its way back to Edinburgh. Three nights, four days, and a genuine immersion in the Scottish landscape in the company of people who understand it deeply, with the comfort and cuisine of one of the world's great trains waiting at the end of each day. Edinburgh Waverley arrives in the mid-morning.

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