Friday 14 to Monday 17 April 2023

We are pleased to present our Spring Highlander railcruise excursion to Scotland, with three nights at the Four Star Golden Jubilee Hotel at Clydebank. 

With comfortable First Class rail travel, fine food and accommodation, spectacular Highland scenery and views from coast to coast, this four-day excursion has something for everyone.    

Itinerary

We ask that your choice of off train option for each day is advised at the time of booking.

Friday

At your choice of joining station you will be warmly welcomed aboard our special private First Class train. For those joining at stations as far as Birmingham International, the Great British Breakfast will be served, whilst those joining at Derby will enjoy a lighter serving.

With everyone on board we make our way through North Derbyshire to York, then across the Vale of York and the length of County Durham. After crossing the River Tyne we take a short afternoon break at Newcastle, where the city centre starts right across the road from the station. 

Continuing northwards, we run through the delights of Northumberland, eventually almost on  the coast with views of legendary Lindisfarne before a climb to cross the River Tweed on the magnificent Royal Border Bridge. Two miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed we enter Scotland, by now well into our evening dinner, enjoyed as the train makes for Edinburgh and through the Forth-Clyde Valley to Glasgow. Soon we reach Dumbarton, from where road coaches will take you on the short transfer to the Golden Jubilee (former Beardmore) Hotel, which you should reach around 2100.

Saturday

A leisurely start today with breakfast served on the train as we journey round the north of Glasgow and by way of Stirling, over the Ochil Hills to Gleneagles and Perth, then following the north bank of the widening Firth of Tay to Dundee for a choice of off-train activities.

OPTION A: ANGUS, CALEDONIAN RAILWAY AND BRECHIN

Road coaches, with local guides, will be waiting near the station to take you on a circular journey through Angus, to include Forfar and Arbroath, with stops on route in addition to a break in Brechin, home to the preserved Caledonian Railway. Here you can sit back and relax on our own special train as we make a round trip to Bridge of Dun. Brechin is a city that is not really a city with a cathedral that is not a cathedral(!), but which has much of interest, including St Ninians Square, close to the station. 

OPTION B: GLAMIS CASTLE

Glamis Castle is arguably the most beautiful of all Scottish castles, with a 650 year history, likely the inspiration for Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish Play’ (better known as Macbeth!), and with strong connections to the British Royal Family, home to the parents of the late Queen Mother and where she spent much of her childhood and visited on numerous occasions. A road coach with guide will provide the 30 minute transfers from and back to Dundee, giving three hours or so to explore the house and grounds.

OPTION C: EXPLORE DUNDEE

Dundee, renowned in the past for ‘Jute, Jam and Journalism’, is home to the Victoria & Albert Museum, to Scott’s Antarctic expedition ship the RRS Discovery, built here in 1901 and now berthed between the V&A and the ‘Made in Dundee’ Discovery Centre – all just outside the station. A regeneration project has given a water’s edge walkway from the partially regenerated docks north of the 1966 road bridge via the 1877 railway bridge to Magdalen Green in the south. Dundee also has the City Churches, four churches or former churches in one building, two cathedrals, the McManus Galleries, the Verdant Works jute museum and much more. Frequent bus services from outside the station (or from the town or from the bus station) can take you round the city, or you could perhaps venture further and cross the Tay to reach St Andrews.

With everyone back on board, a full dinner will be served as our train takes us over the two mile Tay Bridge, across the Kingdom of Fife to Inverkeithing, then across the iconic Forth Bridge. A roundabout route will then take us back to Dumbarton, from where coaches will make the short journey to our hotel. 

Sunday

Road coaches will transfer you from the hotel for   a 0900 train departure. We start with a trip over the magnificent West Highland Line through to Fort William, with breakfast served as our train forges its way into the mountains, high up above Loch Lomond and steeply through Glen Falloch to Crianlarich. Across Strath Fillan then, round the Horseshoe Curve to Bridge of Orchy and out onto Rannoch Moor, one of the most desolate areas in Europe, to a summit at remote Corrour. We then travel along the shores of Loch Treig to Tulloch and soon to Spean Bridge, finally arriving at Fort William.

Choose your adventure:

OPTION E: LOCH NESS CRUISE AND FORT AUGUSTUS 

Alight at Spean Bridge and join the waiting road coaches, with guides, that will take you along the Great Glen to Fort Augustus, where the Caledonian Canal descends a lock flight into Loch Ness. There will be time to have a leisurely look round the locks (and the local shops, cafes and pubs) before and/or after joining our lake cruiser for around an hour on Loch Ness. Your coaches will take you back towards Spean Bridge, with a short stop at the Commando Memorial, recalling the men who trained in the area for the most arduous missions during the Second World War. Weather permitting, it offers stunning views down the glen and to Ben Nevis, before the short journey into Fort William to rejoin the train. 

OPTION F: FORT WILLIAM AND LOCH LINNHE CRUISE

With a map and information, enjoy a wander round this West Highland town. Included is a cruise on Loch Linnhe, where a sighting of seals is highly likely.

 

 

OPTION G: GLENCOE AND LOCH LEVEN COACH TOUR

Join a road coach, with local guide, for a tour that will take you on the north shore of Loch Leven deep into the mountains to Kinlochleven, the first village in the world to have an electricity supply to every house, courtesy of the hydro power station that was built to serve the now closed aluminium works. A run along the south side of the loch leads to Glencoe Village, after which the afternoon’s exploration will include a journey up Glencoe and back, as well as time at the Glencoe Visitor Centre.  

Finally, with everyone settled back in their seats the train will return south, with a full dinner served as we head back across Rannoch Moor to Crianlarich. Once back towards Clydeside the gathering darkness will give a new perspective as the lights shine out on the lochs, and across the Clyde itself as we return to Dumbarton and the coaches back to our hotel.

** Note that to give all passengers flexibility to explore at leisure, no lunch will be provided on Saturday or Sunday, but all off-train options offer opportunities to purchase a choice of refreshments **

Monday

After a full Scottish breakfast in the hotel, coaches will take you back to Dumbarton to rejoin the train around 0930. The return route will take us through the Forth-Clyde Valley to Edinburgh, then as outward back across the Border to Berwick-upon-Tweed and on to Newcastle.

A Full Roast Luncheon will be served as the journey continues through Durham, York and Chesterfield back to our first set-down at Derby, then as outward back to Cheltenham Spa. 

A light supper will be served to those who are alighting at stations later in the journey.

Wherever you travel with us on this weekend excursion, we are sure that it will leave you with a treasure trove of indelible memories.

Confirmed Timings

*We regret to inform that due to significant damage to a bridge on a portion of our originally booked route, we are unable by train to pick up at Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa and Dorridge. To get passengers to board the train, we have organised road coaches courtesy of Chauffeurhire Plus for transfer to Solihull on the following schedule:

At each station, a Pathfinder Railtours representative will be on hand to assist you. We appreciate your understanding on this change and hope it will not mar your weekend.

Additional Information

Seating in the carriages is arranged at tables of four, with two seats facing two. There are also a limited number of ‘Tables for Two’, with single seats facing each other. (Supplement Fayre applies).Passengers will be able to enjoy the comfort of travelling in 1970’s BR MK2 carriages.

Dietary requirements: If you have any specific dietary requirements, please advise when you book.

Confirmation: All bookings will be confirmed in writing when the deposit payment has been processed.

Operating within the constraints of the national rail network, confirmed times are normally advised to us 7 to 10 days before the date of departure. Around one week before the departure date you will receive a letter from us with your reserved seat number(s), the confirmed timings and other details relating to the excursion. These times may vary by up to an hour in either or both directions – the times quoted now are for guidance only. 

Locomotives: We will be in the capable hands of DB Cargo UK who will provide a suitable locomotive for the routes we traverse.