Skip to content

Welcome to Railtrail Tours

A family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years.

Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

01538 382323
Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm

<img src="portreeharbour-shutterstockresize.jpeg" alt="Portree Harbour"/>

The Hebrides & the Kyle Line

Treat yourself to a Railtrail tour offering the ultimate island-hopping experience in the Outer Hebrides and visiting an impressive eight islands. Discover an area of unspoilt natural beauty offering spectacular scenery, impressive mountain ranges, and miles of golden beaches.

View Dates & Book

8 days from £2025

 

DEPARTS

Thursday 22 August 2024

 

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Travel the glorious Kyle of Lochalsh Line - "Great Railway Journey of the World"

  • Visit picture perfect Portree, the capital of the Isle of Skye

  • Discover the Isle of Barra, considered by many to be the most beautiful little island in Britain

  • Stroll along unspoilt, white sandy beaches

  • See the beautiful Eriskay Ponies on the Isle of Eriskay

  • Glimpse whales, dolphins, and sea eagles as you cruise between outstanding island seascapes

  • Discover a birdwatcher's paradise and view amazing island wildlife

  • Learn about the Hebrides unique and fascinating history spanning back 5,000 years

  • Explore the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris with expert local guides

  • Journey through the Cairngorms enjoying wonderful Highland scenery

 

Also included in your Tour Fare:

  • Dinner every evening plus 2 packed lunches

  • Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

  • Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

 

 

DAY 1

We arrive at Inverness and transfer by private taxi to check into the stunning Kingsmills Hotel, an attractive, historic building. Relax and make use of the hotels many facilities before meeting for our first evening meal together.

D

DAY 2

Today we have some free time in the morning to explore Inverness before we take the amazing Kyle Line train, Scotland's original "Great Railway Journey of the World", coast-to-coast through stunning scenery and across mountain plateau. Look out for wild deer, eagles, and the palm trees of Plockton village, before dramatic sea vistas are revealed as we arrive at Kyle of Lochalsh. From here we continue by private coach to cross the amazing bridge to the Isle of Skye and transfer to the Dunollie Hotel, our base for tonight, with time to relax before our evening meal.

B, D

DAY 3

This morning we travel from Broadford and over the famous Cuillin Hills to the capital Portree, where we enjoy some free time. Early afternoon we travel the shores of Loch Snizort to Uig for our afternoon ferry cruise to North Uist. Our journey to Benbecula takes us past numerous lochans and beautiful beaches before we arrive at the Dark Island Hotel, our base for the next two nights.

B, D

DAY 4

Today the island hopping begins by taking the causeway across to South Uist where the west coast is a continuous sandy beach and the east is dominated by mountainous peaks. We continue via a further causeway to the Isle of Eriskay. Eriskay is famous for the Eriskay Ponies and is also the real 'Whisky Galore' island. It was just off Eriskay, between Great Todday and Little Todday, that the S.S. Politician ran aground in 1941 with 50,000 cases of whisky aboard. The locals managed to save several hundred cases before the ship sank, providing them with a good supply of their 'Water of Life'. From here, enjoy the short ferry crossing to the Isle of Barra which is considered by many to be the most beautiful little island in Britain. Its tranquil beaches, distinctive culture where Gaelic is widely spoken, and ancient history make any visit to Barra a memorable one. A packed lunch is included today. Time allowing, we can venture across the causeway to stunning Vatersay, the most southerly inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides.

B, L, D

DAY 5

This morning we depart our hotel for our onward journey to North Uist via the Benbecula causeway. North Uist is a relatively flat island covered with peat bogs, low hills, and lochans. More than half the land is covered by water, making North Uist a birdwatcher's paradise. We take the morning ferry to the Isle of Harris and Lewis, a rugged landscape of moorland, deep-sea lochs, mountains, and a proud history. A packed lunch is included today, and we meet with an expert local guide to explore Harris before continuing northwards. We pass numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the Western Isles to Lewis before we arrive at the capital Stornoway and our hotel for the next two nights.

B, L, D

DAY 6

Today we explore Lewis which is the most northerly island of the Hebrides and the largest island of the Outer Hebrides. Lewis has a history that goes back thousands of years and ancient stone circles and standing stones can be found everywhere. We learn about the dramatic landscape of Lewis on a full day tour in the company of our island guide, including the impressive standing stones of Callanish, a traditional thatched blackhouse settlement, and the ancient broch at Carloway, one of Scotland's best preserved defensive structures dating back 2,000 years.

B, D

DAY 7

We depart the Hebrides this morning by ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool before our spectacular journey through to Inverness. We have a little free time in Inverness before boarding our train to Stirling, journeying through the glorious Cairngorms. We stay at the Stirling Highland Hotel for one night, located close to the railway station.

B, D

DAY 8

We bid farewell to Stirling as we make our way homeward.

B

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTELS

Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness

The Kingsmills is a 4-star luxury spa hotel, set in Inverness and the beautiful Scottish Highlands. They offer a choice of luxurious rooms, impeccable dining, and extensive spa and leisure facilities. Mixing contemporary design with historic period features to create a relaxing, home-from-home environment and all provided with good, old-fashioned Scottish hospitality. This is a warm and welcoming haven in the heart of the Highlands. Hotel rooms combine classic and contemporary features, designed for comfort and relaxation. With a welcoming lounge, two elegant restaurants, and a cosy whisky bar you can sit back and unwind plus spa and leisure facilities including a swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room, gym, and treatment rooms, there is everything you need for a relaxing stay. Enjoy a luxurious home-from-home environment in their Classic rooms with a beautiful en-suite bathroom, flat-screen TV, tea/coffee making facilities, free Wi-Fi, and mineral water available in every room.

 

Dunollie Hotel, Skye

Set in a stunning location by the serene waterside of Broadford Bay. The 3-star hotel offers a restaurant with lovely views across the bay, a comfortable bar, and a lounge with an open fire. The bedrooms have TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

 

Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula

A comfortable 3-star hotel located on the South Island of Benbecula in a pleasant countryside location and just a short stroll from a tranquil beach where rare birds and wildlife can be seen. The bedrooms have a TV and tea/coffee making facilities. There is a traditional restaurant and bar.

 

Caberfeidh Hotel, Stornoway

Considered the best hotel in Stornoway, this comfortable 4-star hotel is situated in the heart of Lewis’ capital. The bedrooms are equipped with a TV, tea/coffee making facilities, and free Wi-Fi. The hotel has a bar and restaurant serving local produce and seafood.

 

Stirling Highland Hotel, Stirling

Just a short walk from Stirling Castle is the historic 4-star Highland Hotel. The hotel’s Scholars restaurant offers quality locally sourced food, and the comfortable bar is the perfect place to enjoy a wee dram! The leisure club, including swimming pool, is a great place to relax. Built in the 19th century as the city’s High School, this characterful building still houses a working observatory in its roof.

 

FARES

Fare Region

First

Standard

London: Kings Cross

£2,345

£2,209

Greater London

£2,359

£2,215

South of England

£2,409

£2,239

East Anglia

£2,429

£2,249

South West

£2,539

£2,319

Heart of England

£2,409

£2,239

Midlands

£2,405

£2,225

Yorkshire

£2,325

£2,199

North East

£2,279

£2,175

North West

£2,339

£2,199

South Wales

£2,469

£2,275

North Wales

£2,409

£2,229

Scotland

£2,175

£2,115


 

*Please note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class only, so First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of journeys.

 

Join & Leave at Hotels £2,045

 

Single Room Supplement £340

 

£20 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

 

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & table d’hôte evening meal plus 2 packed lunches

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

 

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

From Price Book Now Call Back Telephone Favourites
Loading

It is not possible to display any suggested tours because JavaScript is disabled in your web browser.

Loading
Contact Us
Railtrail Tours Limited
21 The Smithfield Centre, Leek
Staffordshire Moorlands, ST13 5JW
Feefo logo

TOP

This website uses cookies to store information. By continuing to browse the website without changing your settings you are agreeing to their use. For more information view our cookie policy.

Request a brochure