Cooper & Spicy's Kingdom : Blog Special Edition - Life on board the Belmond Royal Scotsman

Belmond Royal Scotsman, Clans, Castles and Isles Journey
September 11-16, 2019

This special edition of my blog is my way to forever capture in writing the wonderful journey that Russell and I experienced on board the Royal Scotsman.

It all started at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. At 11:30 am, all 36 guests gathered at the hotel to meet our host Mark and register for the journey. We then made our way to Waverley Station, a short walk from the hotel. Our train was on the platform, the red carpet deployed and the piper primed to greet all guests. It was an incredibly moving moment when the piper started playing. We boarded the train in the Observation Car, where we were greeted by Alex, the train manager, and the entire staff. Champagne was served and we had the opportunity to meet our fellow passengers. Afternoon tea was served at around 3 pm....not your ordinary tea party. We feasted on a wonderful selection of crustless sandwiches, a delicious assortment of savouries and some lovely pastries. Following tea, the guests were taken to their respective cabins. It was time to settle in, unpack and organize ourselves. Our cabin was quite lovely, a double bed, a night table, a closet and a small bathroom with shower. Life on board the Belmond Royal Scotsman was about to begin!

We were the only Canadians on board. There were two Swedish couples, a few people from the UK and Americans. One of the Americans was the actor Gabriel Macht, who plays in the series Suits. He was with his family, a nice way for his children to learn some of the Scottish history. All in all, it was a fascinating group of people. As the journey went on, we got to know some more than others. Towards the end of the journey, we had become close to two lovely ladies (one from NYC, the other from London) and a couple from North Carolina. We ate many of our meals together and shared lots of laughs and jokes.

The train had ten cars which included the Observation Car, two Dining Cars, one Spa Car, five State Cars for the guests and one crew car. The Observation Car offered a comfortable environment for reading, chatting or simply admiring the views while enjoying a morning coffee, a pre-dinner cocktail or nighttime entertainment and a nightcap. It was also the only car with WiFi...that's where I got to do my posts. The Dining Cars offered seating for four or six per table. No reservations required! The Spa Car had two Spa rooms. Most guests, including us, indulged in at least one spa treatment during the journey.

We began each day with breakfast, ranging from a simple yogourt with fruit compote to a full Scottish breakfast, which included kippers, haggis and blood pudding. Neither of us went for the full breakfast but many did. One morning, we had the best Eggs Benedict we've ever had! So good in fact that one of the guests asked for a bowl of Hollandaise sauce on the side so he could dip his toast in it. Decadent! Following breakfast, depending on whether the train was rolling or not, we would either disembark and go for a stroll or lounge around while taking in the Scottish Highlands scenery. Most spa treatments took place in the morning, so that was also an option. All off-train excursions took place after lunch.

This brings us to lunch, our second meal of the day on board the train, always paired with wine. Usually a simple entree followed by a light dessert....and Scotland's version of "sucre a la creme" called "Tablet". Totally delicious, sweet and decadent, served on a little plate placed on the centre of the table...within everyone's reach.

After lunch, we would all gather on the train platform and get started on the excursion of the day. We visited castles, took the ferry to two Isles (Bute and Mull) and spent time in the beautiful town of Oban. We also visited the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean....thus the name of our journey, Clans, Castles and Isles.

The afternoon excursion would normally end around 5 pm. As the guests returned to the train, a steward would be on the platform waiting to serve the "cocktail du jour". We would then make our way to our cabin for a wee nap and get ready for dinner. Three of the dinners were informal and two were formal, a chance for Russell to wear his kilt.

Pre-dinner cocktails and canapes were always served in the Observation Car, delicious little one biters! Dinner was served at 8 pm, always a three course meal, again paired with wines from all over the world. Following dinner, we would make our way to the Observation Car for Coffee & Cheese with Oatcakes (yes more food). A fine selection of Scottish Whiskeys was available for those who wanted to partake in a whiskey tasting. Nightly entertainment was provided by local musicians and singers. Scottish music is truly beautiful and nostalgic in so many ways. Around 11:00 pm, the guests usually made their way to their cabin for the night.

On our second to last night, some of us decided to linger a little longer. It was a fun night, filled with lots of interesting chats. We called it a night at 12:45 am and walked to our cabin, which was in the second to last car of the train. I got ready for bed first then it was Russell's turn....and then this funny thing happened....Russell found himself locked in the bathroom. The latch was stuck and wouldn't open. I had no choice but to seek the help of a crew member. I walked to the front of the train hoping someone was still up, then walked back, 10 cars later, and decided to enter the crew car. I didn't hear a peep so I knocked on a cabin door, which happened to be the chef's cabin. I felt bad waking the poor guy up. I told him my husband was locked in the bathroom and we needed help. He did not hesitate to come to our rescue and he didn't need any tools to unlatch the door....just brute force. It was kind of funny at the time but if it would have been me stuck in the bathroom, I would have panicked. I don't like to be in small spaces. Needless to say we had a fun story to talk about at breakfast the next morning. Oh, and our latch got fixed.

A few words about the staff and the food on board the Royal Scotsman. The entire staff was absolutely wonderful and so attentive. From the moment we boarded the train, they knew our names. Throughout the entire journey, we were treated like royalty. They all had such an amazing sense of humour while taking their job very seriously. As for the food, well, it was truly Michelin Star worthy, all made from scratch in the galley. As we would walk to the Observation Car from our cabin, we would often see the chef and sous-chef prepping the food. Truly incredible to think that all those meals were done in such a small space.

While on board the train, all activities flowed seamlessly. So much happened behind the scenes. As an example, while we were out for breakfast, a stewart would come to our cabin to make the bed and refresh the towels. At night, bed turn down would take place while we were having dinner. An itinerary for the next day was also left on the night table. I have to say that the attention to detail was always present.

Our last day on the train was somewhat nostalgic. While the train made its way back to Edinburgh, we had breakfast, reminisced on the past five days and exchanged coordinates with some of our fellow passengers. Upon our arrival at Waverley Station in Edinburgh, we all gathered on the platform, kissed everyone goodbye. It was then time to wave to the crew as the train departed. Our journey on the Royal Scotsman had ended.

In a nutshell, this was our journey on the Royal Scotsman. Russell and I made wonderful memories during this trip and we will cherish them forever. We would do it again in a heartbeat!