Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 The Belmond Royal Scotsman : Scotland's Classic Splendours Rove through the countryside of Scotland and visit its cities and castles on this exceptional tour of the country’s highlands and scenery. Here, history is everywhere and adds to the romance and adventure that you will experience on board the luxury Belmond Royal Scotsman train. Stepping aboard this iconic train, you will start your journey in the city of Edinburgh and pass over the Forth Railway Bridge. Then after traveling through Arbroath, Montrose and Aberdeen, you will find yourself in the city of Keith. The scenic portion of the trip will take you through Inverness and the Kyle of Lochalsh. Visiting the wild seals near Plockton will give you a good feel for the nature in the region, or alternatively, you can delve into the history of Eilean Donan Castle. You can also experience what it is like to live in Ballindalloch Castle, indulge in an optional golf outing, or visit the Single Estate Distillery in the area. You will tour estates in the region and visit the Cairngorms National Park, finishing this spectacular trip with a visit to Glamis Castle before returning to Edinburgh. As your tour on the luxury Belmond Royal Scotsman train draws to an end you will have experienced one of the best ways to see Scotland, walked through its lush forests, and tasted the finest cuisine and whiskey to be had. Itinerary Day 1 - Edinburgh to Keith - Welcome to the Royal Scotsman Today the Belmond Royal Scotsman embarks from Edinburgh, traveling north and crossing the Firth of Forth via the renowned Forth Railway Bridge. Enjoy afternoon tea as your train travels through Arbroath, Montrose, and Aberdeen. Arrive in Keith, where the train will stay overnight. Enjoy an informal dinner and entertainment in the Observation Car. Day 2 - Keith to Kyle of Lochalsh - Journey to the Highlands: Castles, Whiskey and Wildlife Leave Keith this morning as the train travels west along the Moray Fifth towards Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Enjoy lunch as you journey towards Kyle of Lochalsh along a beautiful scenic route, arguably the most scenic railway route in the UK. Disembark at Plockton, a picturesque town where you can take a boat trip on the bay to see wild seals or enjoy a dram of whiskey and a traditional Highland welcome at the Plockton Hotel. Another option is to visit Eilean Bonan Castle and learn about the rich history (including its restoration) behind this iconic site. The Belmond Royal Scotsman : Scotland's Classic Splendours(© www.palacetours.com) 1/11 Night is spent on the train in Kyle of Lochalsh, with a formal dinner. Afterwards, coffee and liqueurs will be available in the Observation Car. * Please note that some dates there will be an alternative itinerary for the afternoon. Full itinerary will be available upon booking. Day 3 - Kyle of Lochalsh to Boat of Garten - Glen Ord Distillery Depart Kyle as breakfast is served and retrace part of yesterday's route as far as Dingwall. Have your cameras ready for the views of Plockton across the bay to the left, where you can see white-washed cottages with fishing boats and yachts riding at anchor. Disembark in Garve to visit Glen Ord Distillery, which is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, founded in 1838. Situated on the edge of the Black Isle, west of Inverness, Glen Ord continues to malt its own barley and to use the long fermentation and slow distillation methods followed there for generations. During your visit, enjoy a tour of the distillery as well as a private tasting and nosing session. Travel south to Carrbridge where you disembark to explore romantic Ballindalloch Castle on beautiful Speyside. Options at Ballindalloch include a private castle tour, 9 holes of golf on the castle's own course or an exclusive look at what is Scotland's only single estate distillery. The night is spent on board at Boat of Garten on the private Strathspey Railway. After an *Please note: Some departure dates may have an alternative itinerary. Early-risers will have opportunity to join a short, scenic trip to photograph the famous Eilean Donan Castle before the train heads south to Carrbridge for a tour of Glenlivet Distillery. Day 4 - Boat of Garten to Dundee - Rothiemurchus Estate Travel by coach to Rothiemurchus Estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, where fishing, clay pigeon shooting or a tour of the estate can be enjoyed. Re-joining the train at Kingussie, lunch is served during the journey south to Dunkeld, where you disembark for a visit to Glamis Castle, childhood home of the late HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Return to the train in Perth for a formal dinner and entertainment. Overnight stay on board in Dundee. Day 5 - Dundee to Edinburgh - Farewell Breakfast After breakfast, the train heads south to Edinburgh, where your journey ends. Destination Information Boat of Garten Boat of Garten is a small village ideally located on the banks of the River Spey, right on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. The village directly owes its existence, and name, to the railway. Cairngorms National Park incorporates the largest mountainscape in the United Kingdom, as important as a quarter of Scotland's native woodland. The River Spey is renowned for being a top fishing spot. The Belmond Royal Scotsman : Scotland's Classic Splendours(© www.palacetours.com) 2/11 Dundee Once heavily industrialized, Dundee is now developing exciting commercial, cultural, artistic, and scientific dimensions to take it forward into the 21st century. The city centre is a shoppers' paradise with the Murraygate, Wellgate and the magnificent glass- fronted Overgate shopping centers housing major department stores and retailers to suit all interests. Look out for City Quay, on the Dundee waterfront, where factory outlets aim to guarantee designer labels at low prices. The city's burgeoning cultural quarter is home to highly regarded Dundee Rep Theatre and Dundee Contemporary Arts centre while elsewhere visitors can enjoy an impressive range of galleries and museums covering a wealth of subjects. Even before its Victorian heyday, Dundee was an important centre and the city proudly remembers its long sea-faring and industrial heritage with the textile heritage centre at Verdant Works, Europe's Top Industrial Museum in 1999 while just across the city centre, on the bank of the River Tay, Captain Scott's famous Antarctic expedition ship RRS 'Discover' is berthed at the award-winning Discovery Point Visitor Centre. Edinburgh As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a dynamic city offering two distinct sides: the medieval Old Town, where visitors can enjoy the well maintained architecture, and the New Town, offering classical Georgian architecture. Today, Edinburgh has grown into a major cultural centre, full of activities and events. The city's Castle proudly dominates the Scottish capital. There are one thousand years of history sitting on the top of the famous rock. Discover Princes Street, Scotland's greatest thoroughfare, where locals and visitors can enjoy numerous shops, restaurants and most of all, the spectacular panorama of the Old Town and the stately castle. Keith Located in Moray on the Speyside Whisky Trail, Keith is an agricultural town situated on the River Isla, which came into existence in the 8th century. The town is today an important stop on the Speyide Malt Whisky Trail, with the Strathisla Distillery as its main attraction. Dating from 1786, Strathisla Distillery is the oldest working distillery in Scotland. As part of the Scottish heritage, the distillery activity is still a landmark of the city, and Keith and its near area offer four distilleries to visit. The town is made of two parts: the "Old Keith" which lies on the west side of the river and the "New Keith" on the east bank of the River Isla. The New Keith is a much larger settlement, set out in a very distinctive grid pattern. Until today, the textile industry has remained an important source of wealth for Keith. The Isla Bank Mills were a centre for the tweed industry until the 1990s. Visitors can discover the Keith Kilt School, a unique school where students are being taught the art of kilt making. The Scottish Tartans Museum is also a very interesting attraction. Kyle of Lochalsh Visitors heading for the Isle of Skye will pass through Kyle of Lochalsh, from where the Skye Bridge traverses Inner Sound to Kyleakin. The bridge, opened on 16 October 1995, is a box-girder type with an approach viaduct and secondary bridge. The two piers' main span is 250 metres, and side spans 125 metres each, plus a 70-metre long viaduct and a secondary bridge spanning 26 metres. It has a controversial history, costing £30 million to build and did hold the dubious distinction of Europe's most expensive toll bridge. The toll was removed in December 2004 after much vigorous protest from islanders. Plockton Plockton is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch Carron and a popular tourist resort. It faces east, away from the prevailing winds, which together with the North Atlantic Drift gives it a mild climate allowing palm-like cabbage trees to grow. Most of its houses date from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a planned community based on fishing in an attempt to stem the tide of emigration from the Highlands. Nearby is Duncraig Castle, a 19th century stately home built by the Matheson family, and now owned by the extended Dobson family who are in the process of renovating The Belmond Royal Scotsman : Scotland's Classic Splendours(© www.palacetours.com) 3/11 it.