The best places in Scotland to visit by train

Looking to visit Scotland’s hidden gems, but without a car? Then take the train. Scotland’s railways wind through some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes, linking big cities with tiny stations, lochside villages, and forgotten corners of the Highlands. Here are my favourite places to visit in Scotland you can reach by train.

The 10 best places to visit in Scotland by train

So which are my favourite hidden gems which you can reach by train in Scotland?

Dunrobin Castle and the Big Burn Walk at Golspie (Far North Line from Inverness)
Foisinard Flows World Heritage Site (Far North Line from Inverness or Thurso)
The Hermitage and Dunkeld (Highland Main Line from Edinburgh)
Dunnottar Castle (Highland Main Line from Edinburgh or Aberdeen)
Arrochar & Tarbert on Loch Lomond (West Highland Line from Glasgow)
Corrour Station and Loch Ossian (West Highland Line from Glasgow)
Glenfinnan and the Jacobite Express (West HIghland Line from Glasgow)
Plockton (Kyle Line from Inverness)
North Berwick (North Berwick Branch from Edinburgh)
Abbotsford House, Tweedbank (Borders Railway from Edinburgh)

So, which are the best scenic train lines in Scotland?

You can see a map of the train lines in Scotland here. The main scenic train lines in Scotland are:

The Far North Line – the most northerly rail line in the UK which runs from Inverness to Wick and Thurso.
The Highland Main Line – connects the cities of Stirling, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen
The West Highland Line – connects Glasgow to Oban and Mallaig
The Kyle Line – connects Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh.
The Borders Railway – a new railway line connecting Edinburgh with the communities in the Scottish Borders
The North Berwick Branch – connecting Edinburgh with the East Lothian coast.

Read on for a detailed guide to where to visit by train in Scotland.

The Far North Line (starting from Inverness)

The Far North Line is the northernmost railway line in the United Kingdom, running from Inverness to Wick and Thurso. Covering around 170 miles, the line serves more than 20 stations and takes approximately 4.5 hours from start to end.

It passes through remote parts of the Scottish Highlands, including towns and villages such as Dingwall, Tain, Golspie, Lairg and Helmsdale. The line is single-track for most of its length and provides access to our northern coastal areas, including the ferries to Orkney.

Here is where to stop on the Far North Line.

Dunrobin Castle and Golspie

(Station located at Dunrobin Castle)

Two hours north of the highland capital of Inverness on the Far North Line sits the small village of Golspie and the spectacular Dunrobin Castle.

Get there > Did you know that Dunrobin Castle has its own railway station which you can use in the summer months? Dunrobin Castle Railway Station is a private railway station built by the Sutherland family and the station is open from 1st April-15th October, the same opening times as Dunrobin Castle.

Dunrobin is a request stop only so you have to let the train guard knows you want to get off at the castle. To get on the train at Dunrobin you just give the driver a good wave as the train approaches the platform!

Read more > how to visit Dunrobin Castle and Golspie.

Stay at > the Birdwatcher’s Cabin or the Dunrobin Estate.

Forsinard Flows World Heritage Site

(Station located at Foisinard)

A very rare type of peatland, the Flow Country is the most extensive blanket bog system in the world. Made up of a series of 190,000 hectares of peat bogs and pools, the bog has been growing for nearly 10,000 years. It is also spectacular.

Get there >

The Far North Line stops at Forsinard Train Station which is right next to the World Heritage Site.

There are usually three trains a day stopping at the station with the earliest from Inverness or Thurso arriving at 13.46. The journey takes 3 hours from Inverness or 40 minutes from Thurso.

The return train to Inverness or Thurso leave you 3 hours to explore Forsinard on these walks:

Dubh-Lochain trail (1.6km) – The best way to see the bogs is to walk the boardwalks of the Dubh-lochain trail (1 mile) to the fabulous Flows Lookout Tower where you get a 360 degree view of the bog (Start at the RSPB Scotland car park, near Forsinard)
Forsinain Trail (6.5km) – A varied walk through farmland, hills, and peatland, offering views of birds like golden plover and dunlin and is a longer introduction to the bog, hike the Forsinain trail (Start at the RSPB Scotland car park, near Forsinard)

The Highland Main Line (central Scotland)

The Highland Main Line is a key railway route in Scotland, running between Perth and Inverness. Covering approximately 118 miles, the line connects the Central Belt to the Scottish Highlands, passing through Pitlochry, Kingussie, and Aviemore including the Cairngorms National Park.

Here’s where to stop on the Highland Main Line.

Dunkeld & Birnam

(Station located at Dunkeld)

Recently crowned as the “best place to live in Scotland” by The Sunday Times in 2023, Dunkeld was once one of Scotland’s most gentile villages but with the arrival of a young, cool, artisan set, the village is now thriving, with independent shops, hotels, pubs and live music bars.

Get there > Dunkeld has its own railway station on the Highland Main Line with regular trains from Perth.

In Dunkeld, try the delicious treats at Aran Bakery – GBBO contestant Flora Sheldun’s artisan bakery serves up seriously cool cakes and instagrammable interiors, explore the Fiddler’s Path, a 5 mile route which visits the Cathedral and the River Tay.

Take a stroll to the The Hermitage and stroll up through the trees to visit this folly over looking the thundering falls below, then find the The Birnam Oak on the riverside walkway along the Tay, a 500 year old oak tree mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

After your walk have a drink on the River Tay – and head to a live music bar – try the Taybank’s beer garden where they serve up wood-fired pizzas before one of their bluegrass or traditional Scottish music nights.

Dunnottar Castle

(Stonehaven Station 3 miles, or catch the land train)

Scotland has over 2000 castles, remnants of clans, garrisons, and kings and Dunnottar Castle located just to the south of Stonehaven near Aberdeen is one of the most famous. Perched on 200ft high sea cliffs and accessed from a tiny strip of land it is dramatic, foreboding and breathtaking.

The best views of Dunnottar Castle are actually from the cliffside path from Stonehaven. So why not walk to Dunnottar Castle? The walk is about 3 miles, however, in summer, there is a land train that will take you back again. The castle is privately owned by the Dunecht Estates and controlled by Clan Keith. Entry to the castle is £7 for adults.

Read more > how to visit Dunnottar Castle.

The West Highland Line

The West Highland Line is one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, running from Glasgow through the Scottish Highlands to Mallaig and Oban. The route passes through Rannoch Moor, Ben Nevis, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct—made famous by the Harry Potter films. Here’s what to do along the line.

Arrochar & Tarbet (Loch Lomond)

(Station is located a 20 minute walk from Loch Lomond)

Arrochar and Tarbet are neighbouring villages located at the northern end of Loch Lomond in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Easily accessible by train on the West Highland Line, the station sits between the two villages, making it perfect for exploring the area.

Arrochar offers access to the Arrochar Alps, including the popular mountain hike up The Cobbler (Ben Arthur), while Tarbet is a starting point for Loch Lomond cruises and walks along the loch.

Read more > how to visit Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Corrour Station

Corrour Station, situated on the West Highland Line, is the highest mainline railway station in the UK at 1,340 feet (408 meters) above sea level. Located near Loch Ossian on the Corrour Estate, it is one of the most remote stations in Britain, accessible only by train or via a 10-mile walk from the nearest public road.

The walk around Loch Ossian from the station is a popular walk and adjacent to the station is the Corrour Station House, a restaurant with rooms. Did you know that Corrour station was featured in the movie Trainspotting?

Glenfinnan

Glenfinnan is a small village in the West Highlands of Scotland, best known for its viaduct and the passing of the ‘Harry Potter Train’ otherwise known as the Jacobite Express.

Located on the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig, overlooking Loch Shiel, the Glenfinnan Monument commemorates the Jacobite rising of 1745, marking where Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard.

The Kyle Line

The Kyle Line is one of Scotland’s most scenic railway lines, running from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast. Covering approximately 82 miles, the line passes through small stations like Achnasheen, Plockton, and Strathcarron. The route ends near the Isle of Skye, with easy access to the Skye Bridge.

Plockton

Plockton sits on the shores of Loch Carron and is famous for its mild climate and palm trees along its waterfront. Accessible via the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line the village was used as the setting for Hamish Macbeth.

Once famous for its herd of free ranging Highland Coos, the village is now a destination for foodies dining at the Plockton Hotel (Wester Ross & Highland’s Camra pub of the year) which serves a great pint and The Plockton Inn which is renowned for its seafood.

The Borders Railway

The Borders Railway is a scenic rail line in southern Scotland, running from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders. Opened in 2015, it re-established passenger services in the region for the first time since the 1960s. The 30-mile route passes through Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Galashiels, and Tweedbank.

Abbotsford House

(20 minutes walk from Tweedbank Station)

Abbotsford is the historic home of Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland’s most celebrated writers. Located near Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders, the house was designed by Scott himself and completed in 1824. Blending Gothic, baronial, and romantic styles, Abbotsford is filled with Scott’s personal collections of books, armour, and historic artifacts.

The North Berwick Branch

The North Berwick Branch connects the coastal town of North Berwick to the East Coast Main Line at Drem. Opened in 1850 by the North British Railway, the line was designed to serve the growing seaside resort of North Berwick.

North Berwick

North Berwick is East Lothian’s proper old-fashioned seaside resort. With two town beaches, a seabird centre, a harbour for boat trips out to the Forth estuary islands, fish & chips and plenty of galleries and shops to wander around it has all the beach town charm you could wish for.

To get to North Berwick, just hop on the train from Edinburgh and just 30 minutes later you will be strolling down through the town.

North Berwick has two beaches, the huge sweep of the West Beach and the family friendly East (or Milsey) Bay with its boat pond and views to Bass Rock. Visit the Scottish Seabird Centre and take rib boat trip along the Forth from the harbour. Make sure you visit the the Lobster Shack. Perched on the edge of the harbour, this tiny food shack freshly grills lobster in garlic butter.

How do I catch a train in Scotland?

The trains in Scotland are run by ScotRail.
The best value tickets are released 12 weeks in advance and I find the simplest and easy way is to book train tickets with trainline.com*

My favourite way of buying train tickets in Scotland is via the trainline.com*. The cheapest tickets are released 12 weeks in advance. You can set up an alert via trainline to remind you of your travel dates.
You can also buy tickets in advance through the ScotRail website or the ScotRail app, mTickets.

There are a few different ticket types available on ScotRail Trains

Anytime – unreserved standard class tickets which can be used anytime of the day, including peak times.
Off-Peak – to be used during specific hours off peak hours.
Super Off-Peak – only valid between 11:00 and 14:59, and after 20:00, Monday to Friday.
First Class – which sometimes come with refreshments.
Advance – cheapest tickets bought 12 weeks in advance.
Groupsave – for group of 3 or more.

Scotland train tickets and travel passes

The Spirit of Scotland Pass – if you want unlimited train travel on trains, Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to the Inner Hebrides, Argyll Ferries between Gourock and Dunoon and some buses in Scotland with Citylink, Stagecoach and West Coast Motors. You can also use the Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams. The Spirit of Scotland pass costs either £149 for four days unlimited travel over eight consecutive days or £189 for eight days over fifteen consecutive days. There is no need to book ahead, but remember that you may not get on your chosen bus or ferry due to prior bookings, lack of seats etc… Find out more at The Spirit of Scotland Pass.
The Grand Tour – Travel between Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Isle of Skye, and Inverness on Scotland’s best rail lines – the West Highland Line, the Kyle Line, and the Highland Main Line. You can start anywhere on the loop and hop on and off on the way. The ticket also includes train, ferry and coach travel and costs £89 for four days travel over eight days. Find out more about the Grand Tour and view a map of the Grand Tour route here.
The Highland Rover – £95 for four days of unlimited travel over eight consecutive days across the Highlands. Find out more about the Highland Rover.
The Central Scotland Rover – offers 3 days of travel in central Scotland for £55. Find out more – Central Scotland Rover
Rail and Sail / Rail and Bus – You can also buy Rail and Sail tickets for travelling to the Scottish Islands and Rail and Bus tickets for combined journeys and unlimited travel around an area.

Love from Scotland x