How much does it cost?

From £1,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,620 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this tour escorted or independent?

It is fully escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish, handles luggage transfers, and coordinates all guided tours and excursions.

What are the main highlights?

The Jacobite Steam Train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Falkirk Wheel boat lift, Blair Castle, Queen's View at Loch Tummel, the Strathspey Steam Railway, the Cairngorm Mountain Railway summit, and the Highland Folk Museum.

What hotels are included?

One night at the Ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile in Edinburgh and four nights at the Atholl Arms Hotel in Blair Atholl, both three-star properties.

What meals are included?

Breakfast is provided every day. Three dinners are included; remaining dinners are not covered.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Edinburgh & the Highlands by Steam

Six-day Scottish escorted tour: Edinburgh, steam trains, Highlands castles

Great Rail Journeys operates this six-day escorted holiday through Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands. The tour departs from Edinburgh, where you spend one night near the Royal Mile, then relocates to Blair Atholl in the Highlands for four nights at the three-star Atholl Arms Hotel, before returning to Edinburgh on the final day. The itinerary emphasizes heritage railways: you ride the Jacobite Steam Train in restored carriages across the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig on the west coast, travel the Strathspey Steam Railway along the River Spey, and board the Cairngorm Mountain Railway for a summit ascent through the national park. Between rail journeys, you visit Blair Castle, explore Queen's View above Loch Tummel, see the Kelpies sculptures at Falkirk, and tour the Highland Folk Museum. A Tour Manager leads the group throughout, handling logistics and guided excursions. The pace is relaxed, with most days combining a major railway experience with one historical or cultural stop. All breakfasts, three dinners, and standard-class rail and coach travel are included.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £180 since 4 Jul, to £1,199.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

The tour is based in Blair Atholl for four of five nights; Day 4 returns from Mallaig the same day rather than staying on the west coast.
Only three dinners are included; other evenings you arrange and pay for meals separately.
Group size may reach 40 people, which affects the pace of guided stops and coach travel.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Edinburgh
Arriving in historic Edinburgh
Meet the Tour Manager and group at the hotel near the Palace of Holyroodhouse, with time to explore the city at leisure before a three-course dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Blair Atholl
Falkirk Wheel & arriving at Blair Atholl
Coach to the Falkirk Wheel for a boat trip with two rotations, time in Stirling, then train north to Blair Atholl for a four-night stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3overnight: Blair Atholl
Scottish history at Scone Palace & Blair Castle
Visit Scone Palace, site of the crowning of 42 Scottish kings, then explore Blair Castle and its landscaped gardens.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4overnight: Blair Atholl
Journey on the incredible West Highland Line
Return journey on the West Highland Line crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig, with time at leisure in the fishing port.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5railovernight: Blair Atholl
Through the Cairngorms on heritage railways
Round-trip on the Strathspey Steam Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill, then the Cairngorm Mountain Railway funicular to the summit.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6rail
Homeward bound
Return to Edinburgh from Blair Atholl by rail after breakfast, where the holiday concludes.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Day 1: Arrive in Edinburgh at the Ibis on the Royal Mile; free time to visit Edinburgh Castle or climb Arthur's Seat for views of the city.
Day 2Day 2: Visit the Kelpies horse-head sculptures and ride the Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift, with two full rotations.
Day 4Day 4: Journey on the Jacobite Steam Train in restored carriages across the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct to the fishing port of Mallaig.
Day 5Day 5: Ride the Strathspey Steam Railway along the River Spey, then ascend Cairn Gorm on the mountain railway for Highland panoramas.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
5 nights' 3 & 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 3 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,620 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this tour escorted or independent?: It is fully escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish, handles luggage transfers, and coordinates all guided tours and excursions.
What are the main highlights?: The Jacobite Steam Train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Falkirk Wheel boat lift, Blair Castle, Queen's View at Loch Tummel, the Strathspey Steam Railway, the Cairngorm Mountain Railway summit, and the Highland Folk Museum.
What hotels are included?: One night at the Ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile in Edinburgh and four nights at the Atholl Arms Hotel in Blair Atholl, both three-star properties.
What meals are included?: Breakfast is provided every day. Three dinners are included; remaining dinners are not covered.