Taste of the Highlands
Edinburgh → Aberdeen → Keith → Inverness → Dundee → Edinburgh
The Taste of the Highlands is the essential introduction to Scotland aboard the Royal Scotsman, a Belmond Train — a two-night, three-day journey that distils the very best of the country into one unforgettable arc. Departing Edinburgh Waverley in the early afternoon, the train sweeps northward through Perthshire's rolling farmland and into the dramatic scenery of the Scottish Highlands, arriving overnight at the charming village of Boat of Garten in the heart of the Cairngorms.
The second day is Scotland in miniature: a morning of Highland pursuits on the ancient Rothiemurchus Estate, an afternoon in the shadow of history at Culloden Battlefield, and an evening private tour of Strathisla Distillery — one of Scotland's oldest working whisky distilleries. Throughout, all meals, fine wines, and over 30 varieties of Scottish whisky are included, served in the elegantly restored dining and observation cars. On the final morning, the train glides back south through Fife, crossing the UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridge, arriving into Edinburgh by mid-morning.
For those who want a taste of Scotland's character — its landscapes, heritage, and spirit — in a single long weekend, this journey delivers it all with the unhurried luxury that only a private train can offer.
- ✦Red-carpet departure from Edinburgh Waverley on a landmark luxury train
- ✦Overnight in the Cairngorms at Boat of Garten on the heritage Strathspey Railway
- ✦Highland activities at Rothiemurchus Estate — shooting, archery, fishing & wildlife
- ✦Private guided tour of Culloden Battlefield, site of the last battle on British soil
- ✦Exclusive evening visit to Strathisla Distillery (est. 1786) with tutored whisky tasting
- ✦Crossing the UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridge on the return to Edinburgh
- ✦All meals, unlimited drinks, and excursions fully included throughout
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Edinburgh to Boat of Garten
Your journey begins with a red-carpet welcome at Edinburgh Waverley Station in the early afternoon. As the Royal Scotsman eases northward out of the Scottish capital, a glass of champagne and afternoon tea are served while the city gives way to the fertile farmlands of Perthshire. The train climbs through increasingly dramatic Highland scenery, passing the ancient seat of Scottish kings at Stirling and traversing the wild glens of the central Highlands. As evening falls, the train enters the Cairngorms National Park and draws to a peaceful overnight stop at Boat of Garten, a quiet village on the private Strathspey heritage railway line. Dinner is a relaxed affair in the warmly lit dining car, followed by drinks and live entertainment in the Observation Car — the perfect introduction to life aboard the Royal Scotsman.
Day 2 — Rothiemurchus, Culloden & Strathisla Distillery
After a full Scottish breakfast with views across the Cairngorms, guests disembark for a morning excursion by private motorcoach to Rothiemurchus Estate in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. This magnificent private Highland estate, stewarded by the Grant family since the 16th century, offers a choice of pursuits including clay-pigeon shooting, archery, fishing on the River Spey, guided wildlife walks through ancient Caledonian pine forest, and Land Rover safaris across the moorland. The estate's woodland shelters red squirrels, osprey, and capercaillie — some of Scotland's most elusive wildlife. Lunch is served back aboard the train as the Royal Scotsman departs north towards Inverness.
In the afternoon, guests transfer by coach to Culloden Battlefield, near Inverness, for a private guided tour of the site where the final battle of the Jacobite Rising was fought on 16 April 1746. The National Trust for Scotland's award-winning visitor centre brings the tragedy to life with a 360-degree immersion theatre, period artefacts, and clan grave markers across the wild moor. The sense of place — an open moorland where 1,500 Jacobite soldiers fell — is deeply affecting.
The day's final excursion is a private evening visit to Strathisla Distillery in Keith, founded in 1786 and the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Home of the Chivas Regal blend, its iconic twin pagoda towers and stone buildings are among the most photographed in Scotland. Guests enjoy a guided tour of the traditional copper pot stills, bonded warehouses, and cooperage, followed by a tutored tasting of Strathisla single malt and Chivas Regal expressions. The train then heads south along the North Sea coast of Aberdeenshire and Angus towards Dundee, where a formal gala dinner — complete with fine Scottish cuisine and live entertainment — is served en route.
Day 3 — Dundee to Edinburgh
A leisurely full Scottish breakfast is served as the train departs Dundee in the morning and makes its way south through the Kingdom of Fife. The highlight of the return journey is the crossing of the iconic Forth Bridge — Scotland's greatest man-made wonder, a UNESCO World Heritage Site completed in 1890 — before the Royal Scotsman glides into Edinburgh Waverley Station, completing an immersive three-day Highland adventure. Guests disembark refreshed, well-fed, and brimming with memories of Scotland at its most vivid.
Destinations & Highlights
The Cairngorms National Park & Boat of Garten
The Cairngorms is Britain's largest national park, encompassing five of the six highest mountains in Scotland and some of the last truly wild land in the British Isles. Boat of Garten, the Royal Scotsman's overnight base, is a picturesque Victorian village on the Strathspey Railway — a volunteer-run heritage line — and is celebrated as the 'Osprey Village' for the protected ospreys that nest at nearby Loch Garten. The surrounding Cairngorm plateau, ancient Caledonian pinewoods, and the River Spey valley define this landscape of extraordinary ecological and scenic significance.
Rothiemurchus Estate
Stretching from the River Spey at Aviemore to the flanks of Braeriach — Scotland's third-highest mountain — Rothiemurchus is one of Scotland's most treasured private estates. Inhabited since at least the 8th century and in Grant family stewardship since the 1500s, the estate encompasses over 10,000 acres of ancient Caledonian pine forest, lochs, rivers, and high moorland. It is home to rare wildlife including red squirrels, capercaillie, Scottish wildcats, and nesting ospreys, and offers a wide range of Highland sporting and outdoor pursuits within the national park.
Culloden Battlefield, near Inverness
Located on Culloden Moor five miles east of Inverness, this quiet and sobering landscape was the site of the last pitched battle on British soil. On 16 April 1746, government forces under the Duke of Cumberland defeated the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie in under an hour, ending the Stuart claim to the throne and ushering in sweeping suppression of Highland culture, language, and the clan system. The National Trust for Scotland manages the site with sensitivity; clan grave markers, a memorial cairn, a restored 18th-century cottage, and an outstanding visitor centre with immersive battle theatre make this one of the most compelling heritage sites in Scotland.
Strathisla Distillery, Keith
Founded in 1786 in the Speyside town of Keith, Strathisla is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands and one of the most beautiful in Scotland. Its twin copper pagoda towers, stone buildings, and water wheels make it a quintessential image of Speyside craftsmanship. Strathisla single malt is the cornerstone of the famous Chivas Regal blend, and Chivas Brothers — now part of Pernod Ricard — has operated the distillery since 1950. Visitors to the private evening tour explore the traditional copper pot stills, spirit safes, and maturation warehouses before sampling the distillery's celebrated expressions.
Edinburgh & the Forth Bridge
The journey begins and ends in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital and one of Europe's most dramatically situated cities, with its medieval Old Town, Georgian New Town, and the volcanic castle rock dominating the skyline. The return leg of the Taste of the Highlands offers a memorable crossing of the Forth Bridge — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an engineering marvel of the Victorian age, completed in 1890 across the Firth of Forth. Standing 110 metres above the water and stretching 2,528 metres, it was the world's longest bridge at the time of its construction and remains a symbol of Scottish industrial achievement.