West Highlands, Iona & The Jacobite Guided Rail Tour
Contemplate the spiritual beauty of the Hebridean Isle of Iona
Best Time To Go
04-May-2025 - Fully booked13-Jul-2025 - Fully booked
27-Jul-2025 - Limited availability
21-Sep-2025 - Fully booked
Journey by train on the West Highland Line. Visit the unique islands of Staffa and Iona. Discover the hidden treasures of Kilmartin Glen & Dalriada.
This week-long small group rail tour will stay with you for a lifetime. In the company of a local guide, take the path of the first pilgrims, visit the resting place of 60 monarchs and uncover a Scottish Kingdom founded by pirates. Wander through the garden grown by ocean heat and stand upon the rock that bound a ruler to the land. Spend time in St Columba’s island then ride The Jacobite steam train by coast and through mountain. Experience a week built on moments of fascination and drama – Scotland’s Highlands & Islands the stage for this epic journey.
“I am here with McKinlay Kidd, a Glasgow-based tour company on a mission to excavate the lesser-known treasures of this hallowed nation. This trip, which visits the big-hitters Iona and Staffa, but also overlooked castles and gardens along the way, is McKinlay Kidd in a nutshell.” *As featured in The Times “Enjoy an escorted tour of Scotland’s west coast by rail and sea” in February 2023*
With a maximum of 14 passengers per group, you can be sure of highly personal service from your knowledgeable, local tour leader on this exclusive McKinlay Kidd small group rail tour. Early booking is strongly advised as places are strictly limited.
Do not hesitate to let us know if we can assist with tailor-made arrangements for you pre or post this scheduled tour.
This exclusive small group tour has been carefully designed to curate the best of the West Highlands and Iona, helping you reach far-flung corners and uncover fascinating history, culture and local stories, travelling predominantly by rail including a fabulous trip on the Jacobite steam train.
Do not hesitate to let us know if we can assist with your arrangements pre or post this scheduled tour.
This trip begins in Glasgow before travelling by train to the West Coast just south of Oban. Two nights are then spent on the Isle of Iona, before a hop back across to the mainland to Spean Bridge. This tour concludes with a return train to Glasgow.
From £2495 per person sharing a twin or double room. The price for a single traveller is from £3135.
The price includes:
Not included:
All accommodation is carefully-selected and researched by us, predominantly featuring small, family-owned hotels – contact us for more detailed information. We will do our best to accommodate room preferences subject to availability at individual properties.
This tour will operate with a minimum of four and maximum of 14 passengers on each departure date.
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.
Simply complete the form below to reserve your place(s). We will hold your place(s) for 48 hours to provide time for you to pay the deposit of 25% per person.
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.
A good holiday made quite excellent by the inspired tour guide who was informative and helpful at every step.Colin & Pauline, Doncaster, UK
We had such a lovely week... our guide was fantastic and everything had been planned so well. So nice to just relax and let the guide take the strain.June & David, United Kingdom
Departure Date | Starts From | Nights | £ per person (2 sharing) | £ per person (single) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday 4 May 2025 | Glasgow | 6 | £ 2595 - Fully booked | £ 3235 - Fully booked |
Sunday 13 Jul 2025 | Glasgow | 6 | £ 2695 - Fully booked | £ 3335 - Fully booked |
Sunday 27 Jul 2025 | Glasgow | 6 | £ 2595 - Limited places available | £ 3235 - Limited places available |
Sunday 21 Sep 2025 | Glasgow | 6 | £ 2595 - Fully booked | £ 3235 - Fully booked |
To reserve your place(s) on this tour, please call us or complete the form below, making sure to select your departure date from the dropdown menu and advise of any special requirements. We will hold your place(s) for 48 hours and contact you with details of how to confirm your booking by payment of the per person deposit.
Please note: All form fields are required unless otherwise stated optional.