What It’s Like Aboard the Belmond Royal Scotsman Train’s Whisky-Filled Journey Through the Highlands

The kilted and tartan-clad bagpiper played his welcome as a red carpet unfurled at track 19 of Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. We’re recording him, and the rest of the station was recording us, as we followed our pied piper beside the maroon cars of the Belmond Royal Scotsman, the super-luxe train known for its best-of-whisky-and-wilderness trips through the Scottish countryside. It’s considered a trip of a lifetime—I was fawning over the prospect for a decade—and anticipation couldn’t be higher. A bucket-list trip on the Royal Scotsman has the price tag to match: The four-night Scotch Malt Whisky Tour I went on starts around $12,000 per person for a twin cabin. For the price, guests are whisked across half the countryside in the classiest of style, and offered a near-frightening quantity of prestige single malts and belly-filling fare. There were formal dinners and historic tours, a distillery per day pouring drams by the handful, and endless stretches of spectacular vistas. Even with all that, could the train manage to live up to the hype? Once aboard, before we even unpacked, we were ushered straight to a tasting of prestige pours from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (or SMWS, for whisky aficionados). The whisky lover’s club hosted this particular jaunt aboard the Royal Scotsman, with its U.K. ambassador Les Harrow playing the role of tour leader and whisky coach. Our group included a mix of Scotch connoisseurs and novices—those willing to learn and those more interested in the train’s other trappings. And oh, were there trappings. At the top of the list was the boundless scenery: one heather-covered hillside after another, and in October, a spectrum of fall colors rolled by, along with a surplus of sheep and Highland “coos” (cows), foggy coastal waterways, and tiny villages. The train round-trips from Edinburgh, hugging the eastern coast as it moves north before cutting across the Highlands to Inverness, and as far northwest as coastal Kyle of Lochalsh. Here, guests can step off the train to view the Isle of Skye beyond. The train then retraces some of its route before cutting inland down the center of Scotland, back to Dundee, then Edinburgh. There’s more time than there is ground to cover, so the Royal Scotsman “stables” each night alongside a station, ensuring guests don’t miss any of the treasured views along the way, nor contend with the train’s clickety-clack through the night. “Being on the train with Belmond is the definition of ‘slow luxury,’” said Charlie Deanna, one of the incredible servers on the train. As opposed to bearing down on a four-lane highway or jet-setting in from 36,000 feet, trains provide the opportunity to soak in the scene—it’s something we forget in the doldrums of our Amtrak-tarnished worldview. On a train like the Royal Scotsman it’s the journey, not the destination, as you may have heard. If this experience proved anything, it’s that any number of cliches can be true in the proper time and place. Life on (and off) the Train Our cozy double cabin was done in dark wood paneling and marquetry, with plenty of throw blankets and plaid pillows, and a wide viewing window that opened for fresh air, adding yet another sensory layer to life on the train. The double bed was set against the wall and had much needed under-bed storage, while the cabin also featured a closet, bedside table and desk, ceiling fan, and faux candle wall sconces. Two people traveling together need to undertake a bit of an ongoing, choreographed dance of changing, showering, unpacking, and getting dressed to make the space work. But you may even relish the antics, thinking of it as a quirky aspect of the trip that makes your time aboard the train distinctive and memorable. This is not another flop-and-drop at a beach resort. While Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express gets much of the hype, and certainly has an innate, graceful style of its own—not to mention the history and prestige—starting cabins on the VSOE don’t include full ensuite bathrooms, and the equivalent of a twin cabin has a bunk bed setup. That’s a major point in favor of the Royal Scotsman, especially if guests can’t score one of the in-demand suites. Our itinerary included three distillery visits—Glenmorangie, Strathisla, and Lindores Abbey—and an assortment of daily hop-off activities. Some might opt for clay pigeon shooting or a walk around the town of St. Andrews; others stopped at the tweed and cashmere mecca, Campbell’s of Beauly, now in its 167th year. Our nightly entertainment included folk music and coordinated line dancing, made all the more fun with a nightcap (or three). Two of the four nights were formal affairs, with guests encouraged to wear kilts, black tie, or swanky cocktail-party attire. Dressing to match the sophisticated environs was an essential part of the fun. Cocktail hours—with canapes and your choice of drinks, headlined by whisky and Champagne—led to three-course dinners. Fear not, the food was much more Michelin than cruise line, with crystal glassware and a set menu for each meal (though the staff can always accommodate substitutions). Space is “train cozy” so plan to mingle with your fellow guests over lavish full Scottish breakfasts, hearty lunches, and time allowing, full afternoon tea service when a quick cuppa just won’t do. Or maybe you’d like some porridge with a whisky topper to help you shake the cobwebs off, or add a dollop of caviar atop your omelet? You can do that, too. After the never-ending gourmet eats and world-class whisky, a spa treatment allowed for a moment to collect oneself. The onboard Dior spa offers three signature treatments: a full body massage, a facial, and a hot stone massage plus facial. Every timeslot can and will be booked up, so reserve your treatment at the start of the trip. After your third distillery in three days and before cramming yourself back into a tailored suit that’s suspiciously tighter than when you started, this is the perfect antidote. Truth be told, I would have been just as happy with nothing to do and no scheduled activities, as long as I had a spot on a couch in the Observation Car and a window to watch from—peering in one direction, then another, with an occasional dram in hand. Another simple pleasure was stepping outside onto the viewing platform for a rush of brisk air and an unimpeded snapshot. I found I would often take a deep breath, holding tight to each moment before the whole thing came to an all-too-swift close. What truly sets the Belmond Royal Scotsman apart is the warm embrace of its staff, who smile and joke with you, who know the way you prefer your morning tea or coffee or how you take your eggs. They’ll pre-plan to cater to guests’ needs, be it severe food allergies or coordinating private tours that aren’t part of the itinerary. The list of little luxuries goes on: nightly gifts such as a charming tartan-wrapped flask left on your bed during turndown, welcome drinks when you return to the train from an excursion. It all adds up to a whole far greater than the sum of its already lofty parts—one that absolutely lived up to the hype. “The train itself is the real magical part,” Harrow said. “It’s a real team effort that makes it such a magical experience.” It is, indeed, the trip of a lifetime. Though I’m already plotting to do it again. How to Complete the Journey in Style Depart from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station, with the adjacent Balmoral, a Rocco Forte hotel (rooms from $520, suites from $1,300), serving as the official check-in point. Royal Scotsman staffers meet guests in the lobby on the morning of departure, ferrying their luggage to the train and going over initial scheduling and logistics. The hotel also serves as a lounge with snacks and drinks as you prepare to leave. Room and board The nine-car Royal Scotsman has a mix of twin and double cabins, plus four Grand Suites, serving a max capacity of 36 guests. There are two dining cars, the all-purpose lounge dubbed the Observation Car, and an onboard Dior spa. Pro tip Tack on a night at the Balmoral prior to the trip to avoid any travel snafus scuttling your voyage, and perhaps a few more on the back end to allow proper time to reacclimate. Life is different on the Royal Scotsman, and you’ll need to adjust. Believe me. Make time for Balmoral’s Irene Forte Spa. It has a Roman bath–style indoor pool with mosaic tiles, sauna and steam rooms, and a well-equipped fitness center. Keep the whisky train chugging by booking a tasting at SCOTCH, a must-do in Edinburgh for any serious whisky drinker. The Balmoral bar is akin to a whisky library, with more than 400 bottles of Scotch in a wall-to-wall display. ## Implicazioni per i Collezionisti di Asset di Lusso Questo sviluppo del mercato evidenzia l'importanza crescente della **gestione digitale degli asset di lusso**. Per i collezionisti e investitori, mantenere documentazione accurata è fondamentale per: ### 📋 **Documentazione Essenziale** - **Richieste di Finanziamento**: Documentazione completa accelera le approvazioni di prestiti garantiti - **Pratiche Assicurative**: Valutazioni aggiornate ottimizzano coperture e risarcimenti - **Pianificazione Successoria**: Inventari dettagliati semplificano il trasferimento patrimoniale - **Analisi di Portfolio**: Tracking digitale permette decisioni d'investimento informate ### 💼 **Vantaggi del Tracking Digitale** La gestione professionale degli asset di lusso attraverso sistemi digitali offre: - ⚡ **Accesso Rapido**: Documentazione istantanea per qualsiasi necessità - 🔒 **Sicurezza**: Backup cloud e crittografia dei dati sensibili - 📈 **Analisi**: Monitoraggio performance e trend di mercato - 🤝 **Professionalità**: Presentazione standardizzata per advisor e istituzioni ### 🎯 **Call to Action** Per ottimizzare la gestione del tuo patrimonio di asset di lusso: 1. Digitalizza tutta la documentazione esistente 2. Implementa un sistema di tracking professionale 3. Mantieni valutazioni aggiornate regolarmente 4. Prepara la documentazione per ogni eventualità finanziaria Il **Luxury Asset Tracker** offre tutti gli strumenti necessari per una gestione patrimoniale professionale, essenziale nell'attuale panorama finanziario.