How much does it cost?

From £1,189 per person, the operator's advertised from-price as published when we first listed the trip. About $1,606 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is rail travel included?

The from-price covers the hotel, meals, and activities but not train fares from your home station. PTG Tours offers optional add-ons: Standard Class rail from GBP 1235 or First Class from GBP 1295, both varying by departure region (lowest prices for Scotland). You can also join and leave at the hotel in Perth.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

This is a fully escorted tour. PTG Tours provides an experienced Tour Manager throughout, and the package includes guided visits to Deanston Distillery and Bridge of Allan Brewery. Coach transport connects the daily itinerary.

Which trains are included?

The tour includes two heritage railway excursions: a steam trip on the Strathspey Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill on Day 3, and a scenic return journey on the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway on Day 4. Day 3 also features a standard train journey from Perth north into the Cairngorms.

When does the tour run?

One departure is currently listed: May 2026.

PTG Tours · Escorted tour

Scottish Steam, Malt & Ale Trail

Steam railways, distilleries and heritage sites across central Scotland from Perth

PTG Tours operates this six-day escorted tour based in Perth, combining Scotland's heritage railways, distilleries, and historic sites. You spend five nights at the Royal George Hotel with full board and the guidance of an experienced Tour Manager. The itinerary weaves heritage steam railways (the Strathspey Railway through the Cairngorms on Day 3 and the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway on Day 4) with cultural visits: Stirling Castle, the Kelpies sculptures, the Falkirk Wheel rotating boat lift, and a cruise on Loch Katrine. Food and drink are a strong thread: a distillery tour and tasting at Deanston and a brewery tasting at Bridge of Allan. Coach transport connects the sites, and rail travel between Perth and your home station is optional. The tour suits repeat rail travellers, history lovers, and those who enjoy guided travel with time to settle into one hotel base.

Price history

Across 4 checks, this price has held at £1,189 every time.

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. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

3 readings are held out of the price above and this history: a unknown. We only price on the operator's package from-price, read from its own page.

What to know before you look closer

The from-price of GBP 1189 covers the hotel package and activities only; rail travel from your home station is charged separately (Standard Class from GBP 1235, First Class from GBP 1295, depending on your region). You can join and leave at the Perth hotel if you prefer to arrange your own transport.
Only one departure is listed: May 2026. Confirm availability before booking.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Perth
Journey to Perth
Journey from your home station to Perth and check in to the Royal George Hotel, home for the next five nights. Free time to explore before the first evening meal together.
Day 2overnight: Perth
Loch Katrine and Deanston Distillery
Coach north to explore the Trossachs Range, with a scenic cruise on Loch Katrine aboard the 'Lady of the Lake', named after Sir Walter Scott's poem. Free time in the charming town of Callander, then a guided tour and tasting at Deanston Distillery.
Day 3railovernight: Perth
Strathspey Railway and the Cairngorms
Train journey north into the Cairngorms, passing dense forests and wild moors flanked by the Grampians, to the mountain resort of Aviemore. A return steam excursion from Aviemore to Broomhill on the preserved Strathspey Railway, alongside the River Spey. Free time in Aviemore before returning to Perth by rail for the evening meal.
Day 4railovernight: Perth
Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and Bridge of Allan Brewery
Private coach to the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway for a scenic return journey past waterfalls, through woodlands and over the Avon Viaduct, visiting the Museum of Scottish Railways. Afterwards, a guided presentation and tasting at the Bridge of Allan Brewery.
Day 5overnight: Perth
Stirling Castle, The Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel
Transfer to Stirling with free time before visiting Stirling Castle, childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots. Then a tour of The Kelpies, followed by a ride on the Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift, being raised 35 metres. Return to Perth for the final evening meal.
Day 6
Homeward journey
After breakfast, farewell to Perth and homeward journeys from the station.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Scenic cruise on Loch Katrine aboard the Lady of the Lake, then a guided tour and tasting at Deanston Distillery
Day 3Steam excursion on the Strathspey Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill through dense forests and wild moors of the Cairngorms
Day 4Return journey on the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway past waterfalls and over the Avon Viaduct, followed by a tasting at Bridge of Allan Brewery
Day 5Ride on the Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift, raised 35 metres, and visit to Stirling Castle

Included

5 nights' bed, breakfast & evening meal
Services of an experienced Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,189 per person, the operator's advertised from-price as published when we first listed the trip. About $1,606 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is rail travel included?: The from-price covers the hotel, meals, and activities but not train fares from your home station. PTG Tours offers optional add-ons: Standard Class rail from GBP 1235 or First Class from GBP 1295, both varying by departure region (lowest prices for Scotland). You can also join and leave at the hotel in Perth.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: This is a fully escorted tour. PTG Tours provides an experienced Tour Manager throughout, and the package includes guided visits to Deanston Distillery and Bridge of Allan Brewery. Coach transport connects the daily itinerary.
Which trains are included?: The tour includes two heritage railway excursions: a steam trip on the Strathspey Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill on Day 3, and a scenic return journey on the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway on Day 4. Day 3 also features a standard train journey from Perth north into the Cairngorms.
When does the tour run?: One departure is currently listed: May 2026.