Strathspey Railway > Aviemore - Boat of Garten - Broomhill
2024 TIMETABLE
September
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
October
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
November/December
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
Services
| Steam Hauled | |
| Heritage Diesel |
TRAVELLING TIMES
Standard Service - Aviemore to Broomhill
| Aviemore Departure | 10.15 | 12.45 | 15.00 |
| Boat of Garten Arrival | 10.33 | 13.03 | 15.18 |
| Boat of Garten Departure | 10.43 | 13.13 | 15.28 |
| Broomhill Arrival | 11.06 | 13.36 | 15.51 |
Standard Service - Broomhill to Aviemore
| Broomhill Departure | 11.21 | 13.51 | 16.06 |
| Boat of Garten Arrival | 11.34 | 14.04 | 16.19 |
| Boat of Garten Departure | 11.39 | 14.09 | 16.24 |
| Aviemore Arrival | 11.57 | 14.27 | 16.42 |
Under normal circumstances and where advertised, trains will be steam hauled, but the company reserve the right to use diesel power
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Purchase Tickets
Strathspey Railway - Santa Trains 2024
Santa on the Strathspey
Create enchanted memories for all the family with a festive steam ride on the Santa Train at Strathspey Railway – The home of Highland Steam. Steaming through the beautiful Cairngorm National Park, entertained by our festive elves and a visit from the man himself Santa Claus!
Book your own table to share with family or friends, on one of our heritage railway carriages and experience a magical trip.
Treat yourself to a festive light lunch or indulge in a festive afternoon tea. For an extra special experience, upgrade to an exclusive First-Class compartment.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge.
Journey time (Aviemore to Broomhill and return) 1h 30m
Departures available:
12:30 – Take in the wintery landscape, of the Cairngorms National Park, as you steam along our Highland Heritage line. Treat yourselves to a Festive Light Lunch, or for that extra special experience, upgrade to a First-Class Celebration Festive Lunch, in your own exclusive compartment.
14:40* – Experience the Highland winter golden hour, as you steam along our Highland Heritage line. As the daylight fades, experience the sparkle of Christmas, with our festive lights. Indulge in a Festive Afternoon Tea or for an extra special experience, upgrade to a First-Class Celebration Afternoon Tea, in your own exclusive compartment. *14:40 service unavailable on Friday 6th and 13th.
17:00 – Experience the sparkle of Christmas, on a winters evening, cosy in our festive trains. Indulge in a Festive Afternoon Tea or for an extra special experience, upgrade to a First-Class Celebration Afternoon Tea, in your own exclusive compartment.
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
Scheduled dates:
November: Sat 30th December: Sun 1st, Fri 6th, Sat 7th, Sun 8th, Fri 13th, Sat 14th, Sun 15th, Thurs 19th, Fri 20th, Sat 21st, Sun 22nd, Mon 23rd
TICKET OPTIONS:
SANTA STANDARD - Table (seats 4) - £80
Price for up to 4 but if you are a family of 5 and would like to snuggle up, you can choose to add an extra child (2-15) for an additional charge of £10
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge.
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
FIRST CLASS CELEBRATION FESTIVE LUNCH - Your own Exclusive compartment (seats 4) £200
Price for up to 4 but if you are a family of 5 and would like to snuggle up, you can choose to add an extra Child (2-15) for an additional charge of £25
Choose from Festive themed soups like butternut squash or traditional hearty broths combined with turkey and Cranberry, Hummus and Roast Parsnip sandwiches followed by mince pie and brandy butter accompanied by a celebratory glass of prosecco or for that highland twist a wee dram.
Child friendly options with, Turkey, cheese sandwiches, festive cookies, and cake, sparkling apple juice or butterbeer.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge.
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
FESTIVE LIGHT LUNCH - Table (seats 4) - £150
Price for up to 4 but if you are a family of 5 and would like to snuggle up, you can choose to add an extra child (2-15) or an additional charge of £15
Choose from Festive themed soups like butternut squash or traditional hearty broths combined with turkey and Cranberry, Hummus and Roast Parsnip sandwiches followed by mince pie and brandy butter accompanied by tea/coffee.
Child friendly options with, Turkey, cheese sandwiches, festive cookies, and cake.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge.
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
FIRST CLASS CELEBRATION AFTERNOON TEA Your own Exclusive compartment (seats 4) - £240
Price for up to 4 but if you are a family of 5 and would like to snuggle up, you can choose to add an extra Child (2-15) for an additional charge of £45
Festive themed afternoon tea with turkey and cranberry, hummus and roast parsnip sandwiches, scones, mince pie, brandy butter, shortbread, and festive cakes, accompanied by a celebratory glass of prosecco or for that highland twist a wee dram.
Child friendly options with snowman cookies, marshmallows, sparkling apple juice or butterbeer.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEA - Table (seats 4) - £190
Price for up to 4 but if you are a family of 5 and would like to snuggle up, you can choose to add an extra Child (2-15) for an additional charge of £30
Festive themed afternoon tea with turkey and cranberry, hummus and roast parsnip sandwiches, scones, mince pie, brandy butter, shortbread, and festive cakes, accompanied by accompanied by tea/coffee.
Child friendly options with snowman cookies, marshmallows and juice.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
OBSERVATION CARRIAGE - £32pp
Travel in style in our art deco carriage, with panoramic, wrap around windows, comfy armchairs, complimentary tea, coffee and mince pies, served by the carriages exclusive, onboard steward.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
OBSERVATION CARRIAGE AND DRAM - £37pp
Travel in style in our Art Deco carriage, with panoramic, wrap around windows, comfy armchairs, a wee dram (butterbeer for the kids) and mince pies, served by the carriages exclusive, onboard steward.
Children (2-15) on all services, will receive a special pack containing a festive gingerbread man, activity book, souvenir railway bauble and pin badge
Spot the festive displays, along the line, as you steam through the Highland landscape. Sing along and be entertained by our onboard mischievous elves and say hello to Santa Claus himself!
Book NowTrain Services
Standard Travel
Standard travel is available on all services. Standard return travel tickets can be purchased online here. Single tickets can be purchased on the day of travel at any station subject to availability.
Adult Return - £21.50, Senior (60+) Return - £19.35, Child (5 - 15) £10.75, Children under 5 travel free. Family Ticket (2 Adults and 2 Children 5 - 15) - £45.00, Day Rover Tickets - Adult/Senior - £37.65 and Child - £18.90.
First Class upgrades are only available for the 10.15 service.
Light Lunch
Travelling alongside the famous River Spey, our Light Lunch service consists of a lovely selection of sandwiches prepared to order and a warm bowl of soup, freshly prepared on board by our catering chef. There will be a choice of 2 soups every day, accompanied by a selection of sandwiches prepared to order with a choice of teas or coffee.
Light Lunch is served on our 12:45 departure from Aviemore and will be available on all days we are operating our service from late March to the end of October (excluding special event dates - see special event pages for catering details).
Booking Options
Light Lunch is served aboard our heritage coaches, restored to the highest standards. We offer a choice of Standard and First Class.
Standard seating is at tables of four, you will be seated at a table dedicated to your group, if you are in a larger group we will ensure you are all seated together.
First Class seating is in an exclusive private compartment and seats a maximum of four customers (including children).
Tickets and Fares
Standard Class Light Lunch costs £32.75 per adult, £18.00 for children aged between 5 and 15 and £4.00 for children under 5 (under 5s not eating may travel free).
Upgrade to First Class for £30.00.
Upgrades are for your whole party, not per-person. First Class seats a maximum of four.
Travelling with Dogs
Dogs are not permitted in our dining carriages, whether Standard or First Class.
Assistance dogs are always welcome, please note whether you are travelling with an assistance dog when making your booking.
Your Journey
Advance booking for Light Lunch is essential!
On the day of your journey please aim to arrive at Aviemore Station, Platform 3, between 12:15 and 12:35 to allow time to collect your tickets and board the train. Tickets may not be available for collection earlier than 12:15.
Afternoon Tea
Our Afternoon Tea service is unique in the Highlands, as you travel through the beautiful Scottish countryside while relaxing with a fine selection of sandwiches prepared to order, home baked scones and cakes (with local jam and cream) together with a choice of teas or if you prefer coffee.
Afternoon Tea is served on our 15:00 departure from Aviemore and will be available on all days we are operating our service from late March to the end of October.
Booking Options
Afternoon Tea is served aboard our heritage coaches, restored to the highest standards. We offer a choice of Standard and First Class.
Standard seating is at tables of four, you will be seated at a table dedicated to your group, if you are in a larger group we will ensure you are all seated together.
First Class seating is in an exclusive private compartment and seats a maximum of four customers (including children).
Tickets and Fares
Standard Class Afternoon Tea costs £42.75 per adult, £22.00 for children aged between 5 and 15 and £4.90 for children under 5 (under 5s not eating may travel free).
Upgrade to First Class for £30.00.
Upgrades are for your whole party, not per-person. First Class seats a maximum of four.
Travelling with Dogs
Dogs are not permitted in our dining carriages, whether Standard or First Class.
Assistance dogs are always welcome, please note whether you are travelling with an assistance dog when making your booking.
Your Journey
Advance booking for Afternoon Tea is essential!
On the day of your journey please aim to arrive at Aviemore Station, Platform 3, between 14:30 and 14:50 to allow time to collect your tickets and board the train. Tickets may not be available for collection earlier than 14:30.
Observation Carriages
Coronation Observation Carriage
Returning to Highland rails, sixty years after it last travelled on both the Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig lines, the Coronation Observation carriage is now providing passengers with panoramic views of the Spey valley and the Cairngorm Mountains.
The Coronation was a streamlined express passenger train service run by the London and North Eastern Railway between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. Named to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, this service operated between 1937 and the outbreak of war in 1939, when the train's carriages were put into storage. The observation carriages from the Coronation train were transferred to the West Highland line in 1956 where they remained in service until the 1960s.
Recently restored to its original 1937 Art Deco interior, this streamlined carriage, often referred to as the Beavertail on the railway because of its distinctive 'beaver tail' shape, has armchair seating for twenty two, together with attended service.
The price of the Coronation Service includes tea or coffee and a sweet treat.
Dogs are not permitted in this carriage.
Assistance dogs are always welcome, please note whether you are travelling with an assistance dog when making your booking.
Book NowAccessible Carriage
Our new accessibility carriage, has been adapted to accommodate 2 wheelchairs with adjoining seats for carers. Extra wide doors ensure easy access for all. Although there is no accessible toilet on board this carriage, all our railway stations have accessible toilets.
