Frequently Asked Questions

For daytime excursions in the Scottish Highlands and distilleries, bring a warm, waterproof jacket and good walking shoes. For relaxing moments, we recommend casual, comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear. For dinners, smart casual is appropriate. For formal dinners and gala dinners a dark suit and tie, tuxedo or national costume such as a kilt are advised for men. For women, a cocktail dress, tartan or similar attire is recommended.

A Royal Scotsman luxury train journey includes comfortable state cabin accommodation, daily table d'hôte meals, and a selection of alcoholic and other beverages. Onboard entertainment and outdoor activities are also included in the package, with sightseeing excursions, as shown in your itineraries and booking confirmation. Please note that the Royal Scotsman’s booking prices do not include insurance, gratuities or souvenirs.

Wifi is available in the observation car, however due to the remote locations of many of our tours this connection is only available for portions of the journey.

Cabins have limited space, therefore we recommend each guest travels with one suitcase and one carry-on bag. Twin State Cabins have storage space under each bed, measuring 71cm x 23cm. If necessary, facilities are available at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh for luggage storage during your journey. Prior to boarding, please attach a Royal Scotsman luggage tag to each piece of your luggage.

We are pleased to recommend a selection of refined hotels for your stay before or after your journey. Please speak to us to make a booking or contact the hotel directly.

At Belmond, we are committed to curating incomparable travel experiences for our guests and we will do everything we can to assist you according to your individual needs.

If you or your companion(s) have reduced mobility, or require special assistance, please contact reservations.trs@belmond.com. We will talk you through the different journeys to see how we can help.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board.

We recommend you arrange suitable insurance to cover personal belongings, cancellation/interruption, medical and luggage. Details of cancellation policies can be found in our booking conditions.

For safety reasons, pets are not permitted aboard Royal Scotsman. However, if you are travelling with an assistance dog please contact reservations to discuss further.

Should you require any private transportation before or after your journey, for example to the airport, your hotel or from Edinburgh Waverley Station, please do not hesitate to contact our local Guest Services Team at guestservices.trs@belmond.com.

Children are welcome to join us, and infants under the age of two at the time of departure travel free. Parents must provide their own food and a bassinet for sleeping. Given the space constraints of a Twin Cabin, we always recommend booking an interconnecting cabin or Grand Suite for the comfort of families. The atmosphere aboard Royal Scotsman is geared towards our adult passengers. Therefore, it is at the Train Manager’s discretion that children may accompany their parents in the bar and restaurant cars. Please contact our reservations team to discuss full details and train journey suitability.

In accordance with Scottish Law, smoking is not permitted aboard Royal Scotsman and in the Observation Car. This also includes electronic cigarettes/vaping.

Please advise the Royal Scotsman’s team or your travel agent of any health restrictions before travelling with us. No specific vaccinations are currently required for entry into the UK. It is advised, however, that you consult your doctor or physician for requirements based on your travel itinerary, or for any personal health recommendations relating to your journey. Please note that there are no professional medical facilities on our train. Our crew members are not permitted to dispense any medication, and will assist you to the nearest pharmacy if required.

The Royal Scotsman train departs from Edinburgh Waverley Station. Check-in takes place at The Balmoral Hotel, adjacent to the station. We request that you deposit your luggage with the concierge team between 11 am and 12:15 pm, to allow us adequate time to transfer your luggage to the train.

All visitors from overseas must be in possession of a current passport, with a minimum validity of 6 months beyond your journey stay date — applicable to both adults and children. Additional months added to any new passport where the document was renewed prior to its previous expiry date, may not count towards the minimum 6 months required. Depending on which country issues your passport, you may need a visa for entry into the UK. Please check with your travel agent or government agency before travelling. We would also note that security and immigration checks are likely to be increased, adding time to your journey at entry and exits points within Europe and the UK, so we would recommend you allow extra time at these points.

Our stewards are happy to assist with pressing garments. Although there are no laundry facilities onboard, laundry services can be arranged for extended stays.

There are electrical outlets in all cabins. Electricity in the UK runs on 220/240 volts. You may wish to bring an adaptor for electrical appliances.

Special diets can be accommodated by our Chef. Please be sure to tell us in advance of any allergies, food-related or not. We will do our best to cater for special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, vegan etc, provided a detailed request has been made at the time of booking. If a special request has not been made, the chefs will endeavour to prepare a dish with the ingredients available on board. We do, however, regret that we are unable to provide meals requiring strict religious observance in the preparation.