Western Scenic Wonders 4 days/3 nights

Guests embarking on a 4-day journey across the west of Scotland on the luxurious Belmond Royal Scotsman train are invited to Waverly station in Edinburgh, where the crew is waiting for them in the early afternoon on the day of departure. Once guests are in their compartments, the train will depart from Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, heading west through Falkirk to reach Craigendoran, where the West Highland Line begins. In 2009, this line was voted the most beautiful railway route by readers of the Wanderlust travel magazine, ahead of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia and the connection between Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru. Through the train windows, guests can see the three peaks of Mount Ben Arthur (also known as the Cobbler), considered one of the most impressive mountains in the Arrochar Alps, the Southern Highlands of Scotland (although it is only 884 m high). When guests are served delicious afternoon tea, outside the windows they will be able to see the largest freshwater lake in Great Britain, Loch Lomond, with an area of ​​71 km2. After climbing the Glen Falloch valley, with its many waterfalls on its slopes, the train heads north, heading to the village of Spean Bridge for the night. Here, guests will be treated to a delicious dinner, after which they will be able to take part in evening entertainment in the observation car.

As the luxury train heads west through Fort William, guests can admire the views of Mount Ben Nevis, which - rising above the Firth of Lorne to a height of 1344 meters above sea level - is the highest in the British Isles. Traveling along the shores of Loch Eil, the train heads towards Lochailort before turning north along the majestic coastline to Arisaig. Here, guests will disembark for a walk on the beautiful, silvery-white sands of Morar Sands beaches, from which there is a breathtaking view across the Strait of Sleat to the Isle of Skye. For lunch, guests are invited back on board the train as it heads towards Fort William, the largest town in the Scottish Highlands. After lunch, the train arrives at Glenfinnan, home to the famous viaduct built by Sir Robert McAlpine between 1897 and 1898. The concrete structure has 21 arches, each 15 m wide and rising 30 m above the valley. The bridge gained fame thanks to the Harry Potter film series, in which it is shown in scenes with the Hogwarts Express train heading to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Glenfinnan, under the care of a guide from the Scottish highlands, guests will visit the historic center of the city, where the last Jacobite uprisings began in 1745. Then they will be invited to a delicious afternoon tea in the drawing room of the XNUMXth century Inverlochy Castle. After tea they return to Fort William. Alternatively, weather permitting, they can take a guided hike to the beautiful Nevis Canyon, where they can see Steall Falls. Guests return to Fort William, where the train has time to relax before dinner, which will be served as the train heads south towards the tiny village of Arrgyll near Bridge of Orchy. After dinner, enjoy music and stories in the observation car.

On the third day of the trip, guests will visit the amazing Isle of Bute, which guests can reach by ferry departing from Wemyss Bay. The crossing takes just over half an hour. This island is extremely diverse in terms of geology, and this diversity has resulted in exceptional natural wealth. The island is also a forgotten piece of Polish history. This was the location of the Rothes Independent Camp - a penal camp of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, where General W. Sikorski held his political opponents. On the Isle of Bute, guests will visit Mount Stuart House, one of the most spectacular Victorian Gothic houses in Britain. Its owner John Crichton-Stuart (3rd Marquess of Bute) allocated £300 for the construction of a new headquarters, and Robert Rowand Anderson was the designer. Its extraordinary interiors reflect the Marquis' passion for art, astrology, mythology and religion. Mount Stuart House also houses the Bute Collection - a private collection of works of art, souvenirs, furniture, silverware and books - the latter numbering approximately 25. Among this valuable book collection, in April 000, the First Folio belonging to Isaac Reed was found - the first published collection of works William Shakespeare; whose full title is “Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.” This collection was published in 2016 by the writer's friends in an edition of 1623 copies, of which 1000 have survived to this day.

When it was completed in 1878, the castle was the most modernly equipped residential building in Scotland: it had an electric lighting system, telephones, a central heating system, the world's first heated indoor swimming pool, etc. In 1900, a mausoleum was added to the castle, and in 1995 The castle was opened to visitors. After afternoon tea in the drawing room of this extraordinary mansion, guests have time to explore this magnificent house and its surrounding gardens. Back on board the luxury train, guests will be treated to dinner as the train continues to Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, where it will stop for the night. The famous Scotch whiskey comes from Kilmarnock - Johnnie Walker - and initially, when John 'Johnnie' Walker started selling it in a shop in Ayrshire in 1820, it was sold under the name Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskey. It was given its current name in 1908 and a logo with the famous Striding Man, which still appears on bottles. In 1997, Johny Walker Whiskey became the property of Diageo, which in 2009 announced that it intended to end bottling of this Scotch in Kilmarnock. Despite protests from residents and authorities, after 192 years, in March 2012, the production plant in Kilmarnock was closed and production was moved to a new factory built on the east coast of Scotland.

Guests have time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the luxury train makes its way to its final stop in Edinburgh.