By Rail

Trains in Scotland

There is a good and extensive railway service across Scotland through some of the most spectacular scenery. You can enjoy the luxury of travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper up from England or the fascinating coastal trip up the East Coast to Aberdeen and onto Inverness and Thurso. There is the wild, scenic trip from Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh or the nostalgic West Highland Line by steam train to Mallaig across the Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter film which has often been voted the top railway trip in the world.

Many of our recommended B&Bs are close to railway stations if you prefer to sit back and admire the view as you travel around the country

The main rail links in Scotland are:

• ScotRail is Scotland’s main passenger rail carrier with destinations throughout Scotland
• National Rail Enquiries has a journey planner with timetables and fares.

Steam Trains

• West Coast Railways operates a special steam train called The Jacobite from Fort William to Mallaig on the scenic West Highland Line.
• Strathspey Steam Railway is in the Cairngorms National Park and travels from Aviemore through Boat of Garten to Broomhill. This is a service which is run by volunteers and is due to be expanded to Grantown-on-Spey. One can book meals on this train from time to time.
• Aberdeenshire has 2 heritage railway lines: The Royal Deeside Railway at Milton of Crathes, Banchory and The Caledonian Railway at Brechin.
• Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway (West Lothian) is operated by volunteers from The Scottish Railway Preservation Society.