Great Scot: Getting the Royal Treatment

Story by Carolyn Torre 

Passengers traveling Scotland in the plush and elegant Royal Scotsman find time stands still -- from the moment they board the train at Edinburgh's Waverly station to the time they're brought back four days later. In that short while they've lived the historical drama of Scotland, enjoyed its throat-catching, timeless beauty, and re-discovered something that's long forgotten in today's fax-driven, computer-dominated world: tranquility.

Rail travel, an old-fashioned getaway, truly recalls a less frenetic era when vacations brought relaxation, and there's not a more sumptuous way to savor it today than aboard a luxury train.

Scotland by train allows visitors to steep themselves in the glory of this country's remote areas and untouched landscapes in a manner not possible from a car on its more populous roads walled high with woods and hedges. Nowhere is this more evident than in the moments at dinner in the ornate dining car when the landscape slides past, in the long twilight, to change by the second from one perfect vista to the next and the difficult choice is whether to look down at the magnificent meal on the table or at the ever-changing glory of the Scottish Highlands beyond.

Luxury train travel is not just the best way to see Scotland; it's the best way to get and taste the very best of Scotland.

The Royal Scotsman cabins come with rich cherry and walnut paneling, eiderdown duvet comforters, cloud-soft pillows, smoked-crystal light fixtures, and windows that open beyond red velvet curtains to let in the fresh, fragrant Scottish night air.

And the food! Forget all those jokes about Hell being a place where the cooks are British. The national reform movement "A Taste of Scotland" has brought back classic Scottish fare which was always based on fresh products and original recipes but now is exquisitely re-interpreted by the best of Scotland's chefs. Passengers savor seafood from lemon sole, lobster and turbot to, of course, Scottish salmon, delectable smoked or grilled. Other days, they dine on breast of guinea hen, roast duck or prime Scottish Angus beef. And the desserts: Scottish toffee-ginger "Sticky Cake," fresh fruit tarts, and creme brulée. All on white linen tablecloths spread with crystal and silver. And delivered with panache by an impeccable staff, the corner stone of any institution.

The ever-attentive staff is the first and last thing you notice about this train of nine carriages and 19th century splendor. "If you tell them the first day how you like your tea, with or without cream and sugar, you won't have to tell them again; they remember," says one elderly passenger who has traveled with them before.

Indeed they do remember, the entire trip. Who, other than your wife and mother, knows how you like it or cares? Days after your trip is over you will miss them like family. Maybe more. Where else can you be so indulged?

It's tempting to do nothing more strenuous than lounge in the Observation Car and watch the world go past on hundred year-old rails but the tour guides get you up and out because there's more to see, from Ballindalloch Castle in the River Spey valley -- where the owners themselves have the Royal Scotsman  passengers for tea in one of Britain's most romantic castles, one that's been in their family for five centuries -- to St. John's Kirk in the market town of Perth, where the head organist of the church, himself, plays at a time arranged solely for their pleasure below the Kirk's 16th century chandelier. Passengers also visit the famed Inverawe Smokehouses which have been smoking salmon and Loch Awe trout the same way for generations and sample their products -- with champagne, of course. And stroll through the restored gardens of Attadale House, built two and a half centuries ago as the love stone on the wall shows with its carved date of 1755. The almost-tropical gardens benefit from their location above the island of Skye where the south shore of a sea loch captures the remnants of the Gulf Stream.

The attractions offered are visited at specific times available only to the Royal Scotsman's passengers and the local guides chosen are always the ones who are the most informed. This exclusive arrangement gives the train's guests the privilege of being shown around the 260 acres at the Royal Zoological Society's Highland Wildlife Park by the person in charge and allows them an inside intimate look at the famed Eilean Donan castle, built in 1220 on a rocky promontory, a lone sentinel surrounded on three sides by the forbidding waters of the sea. The castle, the most photographed one in Scotland, has graced many movies including, for example, "The Highlander." Passengers also get to enjoy a private visit to Glen Ord, a working whisky distillery that was licensed in 1838 using the same water supply, the White Burn, that locals have used since 1627.

But a Royal Scotsman train expedition through Scotland is more than touring a few attractions. It's learning about the country's fascinating past and becoming steeped in its mystique and legends. It's listening to mellifluous-tongued tour guides whose descriptive sallies lead guests back in time to the Massacre of Glencoe and the Battle of Culloden as their train swoops past those very places -- in all their scenic glory and sorrow. It's being stirred by stories of how brave and noble clans fought, over the centuries, to save their beloved highlands.

And to balance the tale, it's listening to the bagpipes, a musical "instrument" apparently first used by the Irish, hence the saying, "The Irish gave the Scots the bagpipes and the Scots still haven't seen the joke!" But it's also watching a beautiful land of gentle, kindly people sweep past your windows, a landscape that refreshes your soul and stays fixed in your memories forever. Who could forget being pampered, indulged and enlightened upon the dream-like time-travel machine, the "World's Most Exclusive Train," the Royal Scotsman?

If your Heart’s in the Highlands

Rates for the tour we made are discussed here and cover all meals, excursions, beverages including alcohol and all taxes, everything except gratuities. The impeccable staff couldn't be improved; most guests tip four percent of the bill. For further information: Orient Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises. The luxurious Balmoral Hotel is conveniently located just above Waverly station. Book early if you wish a room looking west to Edinburgh Castle.

Carolyn Torre is a travel writer based in San Diego. Like many people in America, she had a Scottish grandmother.