Get tickets for luxury train with seven-course fine dining and scenic Scottish views
One of the world's most elegant trains is set to roll into Scotland twice this weekend, treating passengers to champagne, caviar, and a seven-course feast as it winds its way along one of the most scenic railway routes in the UK.
The Northern Belle will depart from Glasgow Central Station on Friday, July 11, and again on Sunday, July 13, whisking guests away on journeys designed to recapture the golden age of rail travel, Glasgow Live reports.
Both trips begin with a red carpet welcome at the platform, followed by a glass of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV Champagne and caviar blinis served in meticulously restored 1930s Pullman-style carriages.
Onboard, passengers can expect luxurious dining, live music from roaming musicians, and sleight-of-hand magic courtesy of the train's resident conjuror.
The Friday trip departs Glasgow at 10.55am, collecting more passengers at Edinburgh Waverley at 12.40pm before returning to Glasgow at 6.20pm.
On Sunday, the train embarks on a day-long adventure along the West Highland Line, offering stunning views of glens, lochs, waterfalls and mountains along the route that was voted the world's best railway journey by Wanderlust magazine.
Hollywood star Bill Nighy once described the Northern Belle as 'the Grand Dame of luxury travel' when it featured in a Channel 5 documentary. Readers of Condé Nast Traveller have also sung its praises, noting: 'It's all about the food – and the scenery. The meal services are exquisite offering fine dining.'
Friday's journey will feature a traditional Afternoon Tea experience served on white linen with sparkling glassware. The train's website promises a nostalgic experience: 'Within minutes, one of our liveried Stewards will carefully pop your bottle of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV Champagne as you study the sumptuous Afternoon Tea menu.
'Indulge in delicate sandwiches, delicious cakes, home-baked scones with clotted cream and jam, mouth-watering pastries and of course, a pot of freshly brewed Fortnum & Mason tea.'
The menu is steeped in British tradition. 'According to legend, a peckish Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, started the trend around 1840 by inviting her aristocratic friends round for a cuppa,' the website reads. 'Then Queen Victoria gave the ritual her blessing and Afternoon Tea became part of the British way of life.'
Sunday's journey ups the ante with a full seven-course lunch, prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients from across the British Isles.
'As the glorious countryside passes by, indulge in freshly prepared canapés including caviar blinis. Then your starter is served, followed by a seasonal soup course, hand served by one of our highly skilled Stewards.
'The main course follows shortly after, intricately crafted and showcasing the best of British produce inspired by the route ahead. Later we'll serve a seasonal dessert that has been freshly prepared by our team of chefs.
'To round the journey off, choose from an array of British cheeses from our award-winning cheese board, accompanied with chutney, fruitcake, biscuits and a glass of Port. Finally, mull over the journey with Fortnum & Mason tea and petits fours.'
The train's carriages have been lovingly restored by some of the country's finest craftspeople, including marquetry experts, muralists and mosaic artists, offering a visual feast to complement the culinary one.
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The West Highland Line itself, known in Gaelic as Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - Iron Road to the Isles - links the western ports of Scotland to Glasgow and is widely considered the most picturesque railway line in Britain.
The Northern Belle is scheduled to return in August for two further journeys, including one to Oban, before offering two special Christmas Lunch trips later in the year.
Tickets are still available, with prices starting at £365 for Friday's Afternoon Tea experience and £465 for Sunday's seven-course Highland Line adventure. Bookings can be made online.
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