Majestic lochs and glens lie in wait as we cross the Western Highlands and visit the isles of Skye and Mull. We travel through the Cairngorms on this fabulous round trip climaxing on Edinburgh's stately Royal Mile.

Tour highlights
- Edinburgh
- The West Highland Railway
- Oban
- Isle of Mull Railway
- Torosay Castle
- The Jacobite Steam Train
- Inverness
- The Kyle Line to Kyle of Lochalsh
- Isle of Skye
- The Cairngorms

Day 1 - Join the tour in Edinburgh
Your Tour Manager greets you in Edinburgh at the Apex Hotel Waterloo Place, ideally located close to Waverley station and just off Princes Street. We enjoy dinner together this evening. (D)

Day 2 - The West Highland Line to Crianlarich
Departing Edinburgh, we change at Glasgow for the stunning West Highland Railway. Running first along a hillside ledge overlooking Gare Loch, the spectacular Highland scenery begins with mountains, glens and dense forests, before hugging the shores of gorgeous Loch Long. Passing Arrochar and Tarbet we enjoy spectacular views from the western banks of Loch Lomond, Britain's biggest body of inland water. Heading into wilder scenery, we reach Crianlarich, where we spend two nights at the Hotel Crianlarich. Significantly, the village is the meeting point of the two stunning branch lines of the West Highland Railway. (B,D)

Day 3 - Ferry to Mull & Isle of Mull Railway
From Crianlarich we follow the West Highland Line's course along the River Lochy through its majestic glen to picturesque Loch Awe and Loch Etive. Leaving the mainland by Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, we take the 40-minute ferry crossing to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Here we join the Isle of Mull Railway for a short journey, pottering slowly along the Sound of Mull on a narrow gauge track with spectacular views of Ben Nevis, the Glencoe hills and the island of Lismore. On arrival at Torosay Castle, we enjoy a guided tour as well as time to explore the beautiful gardens before we return to Oban and Crianlarich. (B,D)

Day 4 - The West Highland Line to Fort William
The next stretch of the West Highland Line awaits us today, as we depart Crianlarich, climbing quickly to Upper Tyndrum and Rannoch Moor, a wilderness of peat bogs, streams and ancient forests. As much of Rannoch Moor is inaccessible by road, the railway provides a unique view. As Ben Nevis looms ahead, we reach Fort William, from where we transfer to Ballachulish and our hotel for one night, the Hotel Ballachulish, perched on Loch Linnhe's shore. (B,D)

Day 5 - The Jacobite Steam Train & Loch Ness
We make the short transfer back to Fort William, where we join the Jacobite Steam Train* for the return journey to Mallaig on the final leg of the wonderful West Highland Line, arguably the most scenic in the UK. During the journey the train steams past Ben Nevis, then climbs into the mountains surrounding Glenfinnan, where we cross the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct seen in the 'Harry Potter' films. As we head towards Mallaig, we drop down to the sea's edge and the landscape opens up with the first views of the "Small Isles" - Rum, Eigg and Muck - which hang tantalisingly close offshore, and tease in and out of view near our journey's end. After time for lunch we make the return journey to Fort William, from where we continue by coach along the banks of Loch Ness to Inverness and the Royal Highland Hotel, our home for three nights. (B,D)

*On early departures the Jacobite Steam Train does not operate and we make this excursion using Scotrail's scheduled service. Please call us for details.

Day 6 - A day at leisure in Inverness
Enjoy a day at leisure in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. Relax in the hotel's leisure club, or enjoy a stroll along the River Ness, a few steps from the hotel. Further options are to take one of the Scotrail services into the North Highlands or head towards Speyside's distillery towns. (B,D)

Day 7 - The Kyle Line & the Isle of Skye
One of the most scenic rail journeys in the British Isles awaits today as we board the Scotrail service from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. Passing the gentle scenery around Dingwall, we climb steeply towards Achnasheen, accompanied by wild mountain scenery. From Strathcarron the railway enters its most scenic stretch, hugging the shore of Loch Carron beside towering rockfaces and tiny lochside inlets on our way to Plockton, the location for TV's 'Hamish MacBeth', and Kyle of Lochalsh. Here our coach will take you across the Skye Bridge for a scenic tour of Skye, with its Cullin Mountains and rugged beauty. We make a stop at Portree, Skye's capital, before returning to Inverness. (B,D)

Day 8 - Inverness to Edinburgh
We leave Inverness, travelling south through the Cairngorms, via Aviemore, Pitlochry and Kingussie, to arrive back in Edinburgh for a night at the Radisson Blu Hotel, superbly situated on the midway point of the Royal Mile between the Castle and Holyrood. Our farewell dinner is part of a special 'Scottish Evening' in the hotel's Great Scots Hall. Our traditional meal is piped in and we are regaled with Scottish tales. (B,D)

Day 9 - Edinburgh & home
Your Tour Manager bids you farewell and a safe journey home after breakfast. For those wishing to stay a little longer, Edinburgh has many attractions to tempt you, such as museums, galleries and the Royal Yacht Britannia. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday

Departure dates and price

**PLEASE NOTE: all 2011 dates are now sold out, 2012 is booking now, please see dates below and call us on 01543 258631 to book...

What's Included
- First Class rail travel Inverness to Edinburgh and on the Jacobite Steam Train
- Standard Class rail and coach travel
- 8 nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast each day
- 8 dinners
- 3 full day excursions, plus a scenic touring itinerary
- All transfers
- Services of your Tour Manager from Edinburgh
- Single room prices include the supplement for single occupancy throughout: £250

Not Included
Cancellation, medical & travel insurance

Trains...

East Coast
Our journey between Edinburgh and Inverness and/or Inverness and Edinburgh are on board the East Coast service, in either First or Standard Class. (The class of travel will be specified in the tour itinerary.)

Travelling First Class on East Coast services means air-conditioned carriages with extra space and larger, reclining seats, each with their own table. Complimentary tea, coffee, mineral water and orange juice are served at your seat and complimentary newspapers are sometimes available.

Some services have a Restaurant Car offering a range of hot and cold meals and drinks. When the Restaurant Car is operating, First Class passengers also have the option of dining at their seats. A Cafe Bar and an at-seat trolley service selling a selection of sandwiches, snacks, hot and cold drinks usually operate on this route.

Fort William - Mallaig on the Jacobite Steam Train
The wonderful journey on the Jacobite Steam Train takes us along a section of the West Highland Line, which stretches from Glasgow to Mallaig, and takes passengers through some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in the UK.

We begin in the town of Fort William, spectacularly situated with Ben Nevis as its backdrop. As we leave Fort William we travel along the shores of Loch Linnhe before tackling the increasingly demanding Highland terrain. At Glenfinnan we reach the most scenic and dramatic section of the line, as the train crosses the 21 arches of the Glenfinnan Viaduct: a magnificent feat of railway engineering.

Leaving Glenfinnan, the landscape opens up and we catch our first glimpse of the sea and the small islands close to the shore. During this section of the journey we travel across two more viaducts: Gleann Mama and the Borrowdale Viaduct before reaching the small towns of Morar and Arisaig. On a clear, sunny day, the white sandy beaches along this stretch of coastline provide a beautiful contrast with the blue waters of the sea. From here, it is only short distance to our final destination, the busy fishing town of Mallaig.

The Jacobite Steam Train is featured on each of the tours listed below.

Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh on the Kyle Line
The Kyle line takes us on one of the most scenic rail journeys in the British Isles, travelling for approximately 2 ½ hours from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh.

The line itself takes us north-west from Inverness to Dingwall before turning inland and climbing over the Highlands. As a result of a dispute with the landowners of the time, the builders of the railway were forced to make a sharp detour around Strathpeffer. After a steep climb to Black Rock the line descends through beautiful wooded hillsides until it reaches Garve on the shore of Loch Garve. On a still clear day this loch perfectly mirrors the surrounding hills and trees. From Garve station the line climbs up to the broad straths leading to the West Coast before climbing to the summit of the line at Luib.

The line then descends to the magnificent scenery of Loch Carron, where it twists and turns in and out of the loch side inlets. Plockton station and village, with yachts anchored in the shelter of its beautiful bay, is the next passing point, and was the location for the BBC Television series 'Hamish Macbeth'.

The final section of the journey is perhaps the most dramatic (and the most expensive), as it was carved through the solid rock that leads to Kyle Pier. Kyle of Lochalsh ("strait of the foaming lake") sits at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. The two villages were formerly connected by a ferry service, but this was replaced by the Skye Bridge in 1995.

Scotrail
Many of our rail journeys in Scotland are on board the Scotrail service, operated by First. During these journeys we travel in Standard Class accommodation.

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