Explore Scotland by Train
Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye
Seven night self-guided rail tour from Edinburgh, travel round the Scottish Highlands and enjoy a stay on the Isle of Skye.
We have designed this holiday especially for ‘car-less’ travellers who want to experience Scotland independently. Begin your journey in Edinburgh, before travelling round Scotland by train. Enjoy the sights of the Highlands, explore Inverness and its famous loch, then hop over to the Isle of Skye. Complete your circular tour with a trip on the Jacobite Express Steam Train and the West Highland Line, renowned as one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys.
All McKinlay Kidd self-guided trips can be tailor-made to suit you preferences – skip one place, stay longer somewhere else, add on a celebratory night, include the Edinburgh Tattoo in August – just let us know your wishes!
Holiday Details
Day One – Journey to Pitlochry
Day Two – Exploring Pitlochry
Day Three – To Inverness
Day Four – Exploring Inverness
Day Five – The Isle of Skye
Day Six – Exploring the Isle of Skye
Day Seven – All Aboard The Jacobite Express
Day Eight – Journey to Glasgow
Sustainable Travel
This holiday is part of our ever-growing collection of public transport based holidays, enabling you to reach destinations around Scotland without the need to drive. We feel strongly that true sustainability also means promoting and helping to maintain a way of life in areas where the economic benefit of tourism can make a genuine difference to the local community, which is why we have used locally-owned small accommodation and a local guide on this holiday.
Location
This holiday departs from Edinburgh and includes nights in Pitlochry, Inverness, Skye and Spean Bridge, before returning to Glasgow.
Pricing
£1395 per person for April & October, £1495 per person for May, June & September, £1525 per person for July & August.
Price is based on two adults sharing a double or twin room for seven nights in our hand-picked selection of small 3 and 4 star hotels. Dinner is included for your final night in Spean Bridge. Other nights include breakfast. The holiday also includes:
- Train travel in standard class between Edinburgh, Pitlochry and Inverness, on the North Highland Line between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh, and on the West Highland Line between Fort William and Glasgow.
- First class single journey on the Jacobite Express Steam Train, from Mallaig to Fort William (if out of season, this leg of the trip will be onboard a ScotRail train service).
- Full day tour of the Isle of Skye in a small group
- Single ferry journey from Armadale to Mallaig
- Transfers to and from the train at all locations, except for Glasgow, Edinburgh & Inverness.
The supplement for a single traveller is £650 per holiday, based on single occupancy of double/twin rooms.
We would also be delighted to assist with hotel reservations in Glasgow and Edinburgh, from our selection of centrally located, high quality hotel and aparthotel options.
Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information including full directions, recommended routes, and suggestions on places to visit depending on your interests and our local knowledge to help you get the most from your holiday.
As porterage is not included in this largely self-guided holiday, and assistance at train stations is somewhat sporadic, we recommend packing just one manageable suitcase per person.
All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.
We work hard to make sure the unexpected doesn’t affect your trip. On rare occasions, changes or cancellations may occur, affecting accommodation, transport or excursions, including the Jacobite Express Steam Train. We are committed to informing you of any such circumstances and will use our knowledge and resources to offer suitable alternatives wherever possible.
You are requesting availability for
Explore Scotland by Train
This holiday can be arranged from April to October. In 2024, the Jacobite Steam train will run from April until October. Outside these dates the same route can be booked, but a standard train service operates.
Availability is individually checked for a hand-picked selection of smaller hotels, guest houses and other independent businesses, so please bear with us and we will respond in 1-2 working days.
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- Australia (toll-free) 1 800 760 824
- Other Countries +44 141 260 9260
- Email hello at mckinlaykidd dot com
The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee
All our holiday prices include a service charge of £9 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday.
We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value. All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.
Falling in Love with the Isle of Skye
“Somewhere along the Scottish coast An emerald island lies So I will steer my sailing boat Unto the Isle of Skye” [Andrew Peterson] I take a glanc...
