I’m a big fan of trains. I grew up in the Midwest “train watching” with my little brothers, sitting in a straight line by the tracks (sans tickets) and counting down the seconds until the next BNSF freight pulled into the station, to our great delight. There’s something inherently magical about rail travel, whether you’re a kid waving from the station or a passenger sitting in the caboose.
If you share my enthusiasm and jacked-up appetite for rail minutiae (I blame Thomas the Tank Engine reruns when I was a kid), there are few more majestic places on Earth to catch a ride than Scotland. The Scottish rail scene is the stuff of daydreams, especially in the fall when tree leaves burst into red and the hills of the Highlands fold over themselves for miles and miles. When I visited in October—on an invitation from Visit Scotland and Vacations by Rail, my new best friends—the route wove around lochs (the Scottish Gaelic word for lakes) and castles, ultimately taking me to a *very* special Harry Potter filming location (more on that later).
Let me guess, you wanna do the same? Planners, ready your pencils: Here’s how to craft an Outlander-worthy Scottish rail vacation and join the ~100 million passengers who take ScotRail each year.
P.S. The writer received a free stay, meals, and activities while on this trip in order to write this story.
Train
Let’s start with why you clicked on this story: the trains! Scotland offers superior train travel options, with lines passing through mountains and sweeping green landscapes where no roads have ever been built. One of the most famous routes is the West Highland Line, which goes from Fort William to Mallaig through the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Why? Because this viaduct is where the Harry Potter movies filmed the Hogwarts Express bridge scene(!!!).
BOOK SCOTRAIL TRAIN TICKETS HERE
If you want your wizard-worthy recreation to be as exact as possible, you can reserve a seat on the stunning Jacobite Steam Train. West Coast Railways (the operators of the Jacobite) actually gave Warner Bro. Studio the steam engine and carriages for the movie series’ train scenes, so you can’t get a more precise emulation.
Bonus: In the quaint fishing town of Mallaig, located at the end of the route, you can sometimes see the Northern Lights between October and March each year. Dark-sky seaport towns make for amazing stargazing, I’ve learned. 🌠
BOOK JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN TICKETS HERE
Fair warning, though: Jacobite tickets sell out fast. You can buy a gift voucher for a ticket if nothing is immediately available, but keep an eye on the website as dates open up.
You can also look into a pre-planned itinerary through Vacations by Rail. The company has travel admins who sort out trains and transit, hotels, and excursions for you, so all you’ve got to do is choose a fully planned trip from their selection. Some (but not all!) trips include meals, so be sure to read the fine print. While Vacations by Rail handles most transit, travelers are on the hook for any arrival and departure flights, so keep that in mind, too.
CHECK OUT VACATIONS BY RAIL SCOTLAND TRIPS
Stay
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh: Staying at the Virgin Hotels Edinburgh was a true vacation highlight for me. The rooms are modern and spacious, the hotel features dozens of chic dining nooks, and the location is second to none; the famed Victoria Street is quite literally on the doorstep. Walk, don’t run.
Apex Waterloo Place Hotel: If you are booking a rail trip, the Apex Waterloo Place Hotel is a great option given it is ~4 minutes from the Waverley train station in Edinburgh. The rooms are huge, the staff is lovely, and each guest is given a cute little rubber duck. (Yes, a duck. Each of Apex’s hotels has a different colored duck given to visitors, and some people travel across the U.K. to collect them all!)
Ballachulish Hotel: If you want to feel like the heroine in a Scottish romance novel, then make a reservation at Ballachulish in the Highlands. The jade window trims, board games, and earmarked Agatha Christie paperbacks near the fireplace all scream “cozy.” There is a delicious seafood restaurant called FISH on-site (tip: try the scallops) and beautiful sweeping views of the loch to boot.
Play
Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile Walking Tour: Go inside Edinburgh Castle, walk through Parliament Square, check out a few Outlander filming locations, and learn all about the city from a helpful guide. On my tour, I even saw the Scottish coronation stone before King Charles borrowed it.
Leakey’s Bookshop in Inverness: The largest secondhand bookstore in Scotland is a reader’s paradise. There are books for sale from the 1400s and 1500s, and the storefront itself is nestled in an old Gaelic church from 1793. If you can’t make it out to Inverness though, Leakey’s sells online; a win for a vintage book shop!
Eilean Donan Castle in the Highlands: This stunning castle sits on its own island right at the junction of three huge lochs, and its tour covers everything from the musket balls still in the walls to the first inhabitants from the 6th century. (And if the castle is out of your way, there are a bunch of bus tours that can help you get there.)
Eat (and Drink!)
The Mustard Seed in Inverness: This converted church-turned-restaurant on the River Ness is all about using local produce, and the dishes reflect it tenfold. The menu often changes with what’s in season, but the 28-day aged ribeye steak served on thyme with garlic baked potatoes is a winner any day of the week. (The vegan menu is equally delightful.)
Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh: It wouldn’t be a trip to Scotland without a nip of whisky, and the Johnnie Walker experience is a modern, personalized walkthrough that helps even whisky newbies hone in on their individual palettes.
The Outsider in Edinburgh: Tuck into crispy sea trout while overlooking Edinburgh Castle in a cozy corner over candlelight. This restaurant feels shockingly private given the size of the place, which makes it a perfect atmosphere to mark a special occasion.
Ben Nevis Distillery in Fort William: If you want an authentic Scottish whisky experience, Ben Nevis Distillery should be on your itinerary. It’s been in the business for nearly 200 years and the staff is full of tips (like, whisky older than 25 years doesn’t actually taste amazing anymore; who knew?).
Your Scotland Packing List
Nuzon Pearl Choker Necklace
Le TIGRE Loughlin Sneaker
Harris Tweed Small Tote Bag
Cleobella Neha Mini Dress
SheGlam ‘Harry Potter’ Bewitching Brews Lip Gloss Set
Waverley Tartan Cloth Notebook
Barbour Annandale Quilted Jacket
Alexis Bittar Solanales Crystal Oval Drop Earring
For more information on vacationing in Scotland, check out Visit Scotland, which has additional recommendations, guides, and trip resources.
Alexandra Whittaker is the deputy editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, where she helps manage the website and all of Cosmo‘s news and entertainment coverage. With more than a decade of journalism experience, Alexandra oversees multiple teams of stellar writers and editors. She crafts thoughtful editorial coverage plans from start to finish by ideating, assigning, and editing timely, search, and brand-building stories with an eye on strategy, growth, and audience development. She is a mentor with Girls Write Now and the American Society of Magazine Editors, and she is a proud Northwestern and Marquette alumna.
