Explore the Scottish Highlands by steam
Experience breathtaking scenery by paddle steamer and the iconic Jacobite steam train
For hundreds of years, the wooded hills and glens and the crystalclear lochs of the Trossachs have inspired visitors from all over the world. On this exclusive four-day holiday, you will travel over land, sea and loch – all powered by steam. Travelling on the famous Jacobite steam train, the paddle steamer The Waverley and the SS Sir Walter Scott, you will take in the impressive sight of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, enjoy a unique experience on the world’s first rotating boat lift, and pass over the spectacular 21-arch Glenfinnan viaduct, as seen in the Harry Potter films.
VOYAGE BY PADDLE STEAMER
Aboard the world’s last ocean-going paddle steamer, The Waverley, you will set sail across the Firth of Clyde, spending the day enjoying the gentle beauty of the Argyll hills and the Kyles of Bute from the deck. Named after Sir Walter Scott’s first novel, the boat was built in 1946 to replace the 1899 Waverley, sunk at Dunkirk. The SS Sir Walter Scott has been piloting tourists over Loch Katrine for more than 100 years and is one of only a few surviving screw-driven steamers in service today. She retains her original engines, now using smokeless solid fuel, and many passengers enjoy pressing their noses against the viewing pane to watch the triple expansion steam engine. The scenery around the loch is breathtaking – at its northern end is Glengyle, the birthplace of Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy.
THE FALKIRK WHEEL
In the 1930s, the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canals were linked by 11 locks that
took almost a day for a boat to pass through. Nowadays, the Falkirk Wheel, opened by the Queen in 2002, does the job in four minutes. As part of your boat journey, you will experience the world’s first rotating boat lift for yourself before sailing along the Union Canal below the historic Antonine Wall to its visitor centre. This UNESCO World Heritage site marked the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire, some 99 miles north of the better-known Hadrian’s Wall.
A STEAM JOURNEY ON THE JACOBITE
The Fort William to Mallaig railway line is frequently voted the world’s greatest railway journey. Your steam train round-trip begins at the southern end of the Great Glen, in the shadow of Ben Nevis at Fort William. Hopping aboard The Jacobite, you will puff past rugged scenery, craggy coastlines and inland lochs, including Loch Shiel, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745. After a stop for local seafood or fish and chips in the port of Mallaig, you will return to Fort William with Champagne and chocolates.