Picturesque Highland Seasons 2026

Duration

5 Days

Departure Dates

19th May 2026, 9th June 2026, 14th July 2026, 6th October 2026

Prices from

£1,060 Per person

Experience a relaxing circular tour of the spectacular Scottish Highlands. Discover some of the most stunning scenery and landscapes from the comfort of your seat, steam on the magnificent Jacobite Steam Train across the fantastic Glenfinnan Viaduct, and journey on Scotland's "Great Railway Journey of the World" plus enjoy free time to explore the picturesque city of Inverness.

Overview
Itinerary
Further Information
Departure Dates
Helpful Links

Inverness Castle ©Shutterstock

5 days from £1,060

DEPARTS

Tuesday 19 May 2026

Tuesday 9 June 2026

Tuesday 14 July 2026

Tuesday 6 October 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Marvel at spectacular Highlands Mountain scenery
Experience the "Great Railway Journey of the World" to Kyle of Lochalsh
Steam on the famous "Harry Potter" Jacobite train to Mallaig
Take the fabulous Highland Line climbing through the Cairngorms
See the Bonnie Prince Charlie monument at the head of Loch Shiel
Cross the magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct
Enjoy "monster spotting" at Loch Ness
Journey by train over Rannoch Moor on the stunning West Highland Line
Free time to explore Inverness, the capital of the Highlands

Also included in your Tour Fare:

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 lunch
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Inverness travelling along the spine of Scotland on the wonderfully picturesque High Line through Perth, Pitlochry, and over the Cairngorm Mountains. On arrival in Inverness, we will make our way to the Palace Hotel for our two-night stay, and we enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

Today, we take the amazing Kyle Line train, Scotland's original 'Great Railway Journey of the World', coast-to-coast through stunning scenery and across mountain plateau. Look out for wild deer, eagles, and the palm trees of Plockton Village, before dramatic sea vistas are revealed as we arrive at Kyle of Lochalsh. Here, we enjoy a light lunch in the renowned Kyle Hotel, overlooking the Isle of Skye, before retracing our steps to Inverness.

B, L, D

DAY 3

This morning, we enjoy free time in Inverness to discover this compact and picturesque city. We can visit the magnificent cathedral church, lovely riverside cafés, and historic Old Town before departing by road and travelling alongside Loch Ness, with a short break for photography and monster spotting. We then continue through the beautiful Great Glen to Fort William where we check-in to the Alexandra Hotel for our two-night stay and enjoy our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 4

After breakfast this morning, we take a magical train journey along the rail route to the Isles aboard the magnificent Jacobite Steam Train. We cross the fantastic Glenfinnan Viaduct, overlooking Loch Shiel and the Bonnie Prince Charlie monument; a view made even more famous in the 'Harry Potter' films. We round Loch Eilt with its trees of the ancient Caledonian Forest and burst out onto the white-sanded Atlantic shoreline at Morar with distant views of the Isles of Eigg and Rum before we reach the terminus at Mallaig overlooking the Isle of Skye. After a sightseeing break, we return to Fort William in time for our final evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 5

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Fort William and travel by train along the stunning West Highland route over the wild and remote Rannoch Moor to Glasgow for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTELS

Palace Hotel & Spa, Inverness

Nestled on the banks of the River Ness, opposite Inverness Castle, the Palace Hotel & Spa offers an elegant bar and restaurant, a relaxing lounge, and a superb leisure club with an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and gymnasium. The individually styled bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom with a hairdryer, a flat-screen TV, ironing facilities, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

The Alexandra Hotel, Fort William

Located on the shores of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil and close to the railway station, the Alexandra Hotel features a homely bar with an open fire and a spacious restaurant offering locally sourced dishes. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Out – Kings Cross, Rtn – Euston	£1,555	£1,315
Greater London	£1,575	£1,335
South of England	£1,619	£1,365
East Anglia	£1,619	£1,365
South West	£1,599	£1,369
Heart of England	£1,439	£1,259
Midlands	£1,419	£1,259
Yorkshire	£1,349	£1,225
North East	£1,299	£1,199
North West	£1,375	£1,219
South Wales	£1,479	£1,285
North Wales	£1,425	£1,259
Scotland	N/A	£1,199
Join & Leave at Hotels	£1,075
Single Traveller Supplement	£450
Deposit	£110

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

£15 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

May Departure Supplement £70

June Departure Supplement £140

July Departure Supplement £190

4 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 lunch

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
19th May 2026	£1,130 Per person	Book Now	Callback
9th June 2026	£1,200 Per person	Book Now	Callback
14th July 2026	£1,250 Per person	Book Now	Callback
6th October 2026	£1,060 Per person	Book Now	Callback

Can't see a date that suits you? Please register your interest for additional departures on this tour.

Register interest

Enter your details to receive updates on upcoming departure dates for the Picturesque Highland Seasons 2026 rail tour.

Palace Hotel & Spa, Inverness

Alexandra Hotel, Fort William

Kyle Line Railway 1 ©Shutterstock

Kyle Line Railway 2 ©John Armitstead

ScotRail on Kyle Line ©ScotRail

Scottish Stag in the Highlands ©Shutterstock

Plockton Village ©Shutterstock

Kyle of Lochalsh ©Shutterstock

Loch Ness 1 ©Shutterstock

Fort William and Ben Nevis ©Shutterstock

Jacobite on Glenfinnan Viaduct ©AdobeStock

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

View Dates and Book

Why Book with Railtrail

Railtrail Tours is a family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years – Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

Unique Experiences

Our tours are unique to us, created by our team of rail travel experts who each have a lifetime of knowledge and experience in the rail holiday industry

Financial Protection

Railtrail Tours are members of ABTOT and ATOL, meaning you can relax knowing that you are fully protected when booking any holiday with us.

Loyalty Rewards

For every pound spent you will receive Loyalty Points on return from your holiday, which can then be used as a discount on future bookings.

Award Winning Team

We were proudly awarded Silver at the British Travel Awards for ‘Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays’ in 2024.

More about us

Destinations

Tour Types