With its dramatic moors, mountains, seashores and lochs, Scotland is one of the most scenic countries in the world for train journeys. But the country’s journey to rail titan had a modest start: the opening 200 years ago this month of the Monklands and Kirkintilloch line, an unassuming stretch of track that covered barely 10 miles and which was primarily designed for the transport of coal. From small beginnings, great things grow, and Scotland now boasts a host of railway journeys that act as the perfect gateway to one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. Here’s our selection of 10 belters.
West Highland Line
Duration: 5hr 30min
Train journeys don’t get better than this: the West Highland Line, a 164-mile run widely acknowledged to be the most scenic in Britain. The most famous stretch is the final one between Fort William (stopping-off point for Ben Nevis) and the fishing port of Mallaig, a ferry ride from the Isle of Skye. This bit includes crossing the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct – a huge point of reference for Harry Potter fans. But the southern stretches starting from Glasgow also reveal multiple wonders, including Loch Long and Loch Lomond, a selection of peaty bogs, Rannoch Moor and the famous “Horseshoe Curve”.
Glasgow to Mallaig one-way costs from £47.40; scotrail.co.uk.
Edinburgh to Aberdeen
Duration: 2hr 30min
From natural wonders to man-made majesty, the journey between Edinburgh and Aberdeen crosses the magnificent cantilever bridge spanning the Firth of Forth, one of the great structural triumphs of the late Victorian age. The bridge is not far out of Edinburgh, but treats further north include great swathes of lush green pastures, craggy cliffs and long stretches of sandy beach. You also travel along the Tay Bridge, another striking piece of Victorian engineering and a defining feature of Dundee.
Edinburgh to Aberdeen one-way costs from £17; scotrail.co.uk, lner.co.uk.
Kyle Line
Duration: 2hr 40min
Another journey ending within striking distance of Skye follows the Kyle Line, which starts in the Highland capital of Inverness and follows a wide arch to reach its west coast end at the Kyle of Lochalsh. Views are likely to include red deer, dense pine forests, moors and lochs, and the glacier-carved mountains of the Torridon Peaks. For the first 18 or so miles, the track follows the same route as the Far North Line (see below) before branching west at Dingwall, where you may catch a glimpse of the forbidding Ben Wyvis.
Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh one-way costs from £32; scotrail.com.
Far North Line
Duration: 4hr 30min
If you feel a wee dram coming on, a journey to John O’Groats country and the northernmost stretch of mainland Scotland involves passing some of Scotland’s most prized whisky distilleries, including Teaninich, Dalmore and Glenmorangie in Tain. There’s plenty to raise a glass to along the way, including the shores of Cromarty Firth, the castles of Foulis and Dunrobin, a series of swirling salmon-fishing rivers and the extraordinary peatland of Flow Country, a Unesco World Heritage site. Journey’s end comes at the fishing port of Wick, a short bus ride from John O’Groats. Get out at Thurso for nearby ferries to the Orkneys.
Inverness to Wick one-way costs from £28; scotrail.com.
Borders Railway
Duration: 1hr
Closer to Sassenach country, the Borders Railway, as the name suggests, heads south towards England along a stretch of line forever associated with the great Sir Walter Scott. It starts at Edinburgh Waverley, named after his series of historical novels, and ends at Tweedbank, alighting point for Abbotsford House, the impressive country estate where he lived and worked. The intervening scenery involves soft, rolling hills, steep-sided glens, open farmland and a series of old mining villages such as Newtongrange and Gorebridge in the heart of Midlothian. There is also a stop at Galashiels, once famed for the manufacture of woollens, tartan and tweed, and close to good walking trails along the River Tweed.
Edinburgh to Tweedbank one-way costs from £14; scotrail.com.
Stranraer Line
Duration: 2hr 25min
Over on the other side of the Lowlands, the line connecting Glasgow and Stranraer runs through the spectacular landscapes that inspired another national hero – Robert Burns, the poet whose memory is cherished to this day. The journey involves a long stretch along the west coast, affording views over the sea towards Ailsa Craig, home to over 36,000 breeding pairs of gannets, and the Isle of Arran. Stops include Ayr (home to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum) and Troon (famous for its golf courses). Stranraer itself is prettily located on Loch Ryan.
Glasgow to Stranraer one-way costs from £18; scotrail.com.
Carlisle Line
Duration: 2hr 30min
Is that the sound of wedding bells? Another journey south from Glasgow has as its penultimate stop the village of Gretna Green to which eloping couples from England would famously come to get married. This scenic stretch of track is best experienced on the slower, stopping service as it heads through the lowlands of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. There’s lots of rolling pastoral farmland – home to the “Beltie” cow – and forests en route to the bucolic Nith Valley. Along the way it passes several of the battlefield sites associated with Robert the Bruce. From Gretna it is a short ride to the English city of Carlisle, famed for its 11th-century castle.
Glasgow to Carlisle one-way costs from £20; scotrail.com.
Strathspey Steam Railway
Duration: 1hr 40min
For a stronger sense of Scottish railway heritage – involving being drawn by a steam locomotive, no less – the Strathspey Steam Railway offers a gentle 20-mile round trip from Aviemore via Boat of Garten and Broomhill. The journey, though moorland and woods and alongside the River Spey, is played out against a backdrop of the magnificent Cairngorms National Park. In addition to soaring mountain peaks, there’s a rare opportunity to spot an osprey. Afternoon tea is served in the plusher carriages to complete a sense of travel to another age.
A round-trip ticket for the Strathspey Steam Railway costs from £26 (£50 with afternoon tea); strathspeyrailway.co.uk (March-October).
Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway
Duration: 1hr 10min
There’s more rail nostalgia served up on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, a steam-hauled heritage service run by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. While modest, the 10-mile journey from Bo’ness to Manuel and back does offer striking views of the Firth of Forth and the Kinneil nature reserve and estate. It also stops at Birkhill, a station lovingly restored to a Victorian-era aesthetic and a popular setting for films. For children there are services hauled by a Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive, while for proper enthusiasts, Bo’ness itself contains the Museum of Scottish Railways.
A round-trip ticket on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway costs from £17; bkrailway.co.uk (April-October and selected winter dates).
Monklands and Kirkintilloch
It is no longer possible to travel along the Monklands and Kirkintilloch line which, 200 years ago this month (May), ushered in Scotland’s first modern rail service. As with the Stockton to Darlington line, which opened one year earlier in England, the primary purpose was to transport heavy loads of coal along wrought-iron rails – in this case from the Lanarkshire mines to the Forth and Clyde Canal. Passenger services along the 10-mile stretch of track continued up to the 1960s but today only a small section – around Coatbridge – forms part of the route for trains heading north. Much of the original route is now a footpath and cycle path.
For more information on the Monklands and Kirkintilloch Railway, see railscot.co.uk.
Tickets for most of these trips can be purchased via thetrainline.com, which aggregates sales for multiple operators.