A Trip On The Highland Rambler
Last weekend I took my dad on a steam trip from Stirling to Inverness. Or at least I was going to, he ended up coming down with the flu so obviously my mum and I went anyway. No point wasting the tickets. The steam engine on this particular trip was the 60136 Tornado, one of the newest trains (built by hand) in the UK. If you’ve ever seen that episode of Top Gear where they race a train to Scotland, it was that train.
I keep saying it but Scotland is really really pretty and the journey between Perth and Inverness through the Cairngorms has some seriously amazing scenery. Honestly at one point I was fully expecting to go round a corner and come across Hogwarts. If you ever get a chance to do this, or even just get a regular train to Inverness. You should do it. You won’t be disappointed.
THE HIGHLAND RAMBLER
44 Comments
Annika Perry
Your poor dad, missing out on this trip! I like the ‘obviously my mum and I went anyway’. Beautiful photos and what a train. I travelled so many times from Edinburgh to Leuchars and never tired of the journey, always looking out at the countryside/North Sea – so different each time.
bluchickenninja
You have no idea how disappointed he was when he decided he couldn’t go. He’s a total train nut! We had been trying to keep it a surprise, he thought he was just going to Stirling for the day.
I love that train journey. When you can see out over the Forth. So pretty!
Peter Rogerson
There is no place on Earth with such diverse scenery as the UK, and especially Scotland. That’s my opinion, but then I haven’t been everywhere! Not even everywhere in Scotland!
bluchickenninja
I’ve lived here for 25 years and still haven’t seen everything!
Annika Perry
PS. My husband just read this blog and is really jealous – I have now been bombarded by facts about the Tornado. He really feels sorry for your Dad as he’s also mad about trains.
bluchickenninja
Hahaha, you will just need to go on a steam journey now.
Dagny
Great photos, Emma. Thanks for sharing.
bluchickenninja
Thanks Dagny 🙂
anotherwisemonkey
Looks like a wonderful day out. Having never travelled on a steam train, how would you describe it?
bluchickenninja
Uuuuuh it was very similar to riding a normal train. It was surprisingly fast. Other steam trains I’ve been on have been very slow, noisy and bumpy.
avsongbird
What gorgeous scenery!
bluchickenninja
So pretty!
Dan Antion
Great photos – sorry your dad missed the trip.
bluchickenninja
Thanks!
Daniela Pozzobon
Beautiful! I’ll save the tip for when I travel to Scotland 🙂 Thanks for sharing this.
bluchickenninja
You’re welcome 🙂
anthonystevens
I love steam train rides. You are so lucky to have such gorgeous scenery to go with it. Tell your dad that this just gives you the excuse to take a second trip, with him.
bluchickenninja
Oh yeah, it just means we will need to go on another trip!
Nin_DS
Beautiful photos! 🙂
bluchickenninja
Thank you 🙂
cathum
What a tempting prospect. No doubt you’re already planning another trip for your Dad…
bluchickenninja
Yes! We’re watching out for more trips like this!
Ed Howard
What an adventure! Love the pictures.
bluchickenninja
Thanks!
The Chaos Realm
I love travelling by train! I miss the UK and Europe SO MUCH!
bluchickenninja
When I went to Holland the trains were seriously the best thing about the place. Double decker trains!!!!
brittabottle
Really lovely pictures, Emma. Scotland is high up on my travel list. It certainly does look like a gorgeous country and I’m also part Scottish, so I feel that I must go just because of that. 🙂
bluchickenninja
Thanks 🙂 Its so pretty, you have to visit if you get the chance.
Laurie Welch
Oh wow…quite the nice travel guide! And I could just close my eyes and imagine Hogwarts from your great photos! Thanks!!
bluchickenninja
Honestly, we went past a loch at one point which I swear was in the Potter movies.
sforim
great photos! I am a European, living in US. I miss trains and everything about them, so this post made me smile happily. And Scotland is on my traveling list (before London, ha)
bluchickenninja
Thanks 🙂
OLCOL
Sounds a great trip! This weekend I’m going up to Scotland myself to go up Ben Nevis. We’d also like to go to an island – do you have any recommendations?
bluchickenninja
There are a number of really pretty islands. Mull is really nice, the only thing is you need to get a ferry to most of them so you kinda need to plan all that out.
edwindesouza
The steam engine did what it does best: took me down the memory lane to the days when we would run to the door of our home in a remote village on seeing the smoke billow and the whistle blow in distance. We would wave our hands at each train that passed in the hope that the driver would see us and wave back. Neither do we see that black steam engine nor the driver anymore. The driver was our father who passed away recently.
bluchickenninja
Your childhood sounds very similar to the Railway Children. It was really interesting, everywhere we went people had stopped what they were doing to wave at the train as it went past. Steam trains really aren’t something you see that often anymore, bit sad to be honest.
Tarnmoor
I loved riding the trains in Scotland.
bluchickenninja
So much fun!
katelynn
Oooh that looks like such a fantastic trip!! I’m dying to go to Scotland and have been for years! Right now, I’m scheduled for ten days in Scotland in September and want to train it from Edinburgh to Inverness or Aberdeen, stopping in a few places I’ll decide by recommendation when I get there. I was trying to see the map for this trip, but it looks like it was a special offer..? I really hope it wasn’t because your beautiful photos are making my heart melt!!
bluchickenninja
Ahh yeah sorry it was a one off thing. The website that you book it through (steamdreams.co.uk) have a brochure of all the trips they are running. I read that they might be doing something similar in September to celebrate the Borders railway opening. But you can still get a regular train to Inverness/ Aberdeen and you will get the exact same view. Just no steam train.
katelynn
Oh wonderful! Thank you so much, I’ll keep my eye on it with my fingers crossed. 🙂
bluchickenninja
You’re welcome 🙂
Hannah
Hey bluchickenninja, I love those DAISIES! <3 🙂
You have incredible photography skills!
Hannah
bluchickenninja
Awww thank you very much 🙂