Train in Scotland

Full steam ahead! That’s the Royal Deeside RailwayÊmakingÊits way through the woods on a one-mile track from Milton of Crathers to Birkenbaud Crossing in northeast Scotland. The passenger train travels the beautiful settings along the River Dee.

The railway is a 25-minute car ride from Aberdeen, known as the “Granite City” for its many gray-stone buildings. It’s listed as one of the 52 Places to Go in 2019 by The Times. “Aberdeen and its surroundings offer historic castles set in fields of purple heather, in pine woods and along the dramatic coastline,” The Times wrote. “Hiking trails abound on and around the queen’s estate at Balmoral, and rail buffs can visit the former royal train station in Ballater, closed since 1966, and ride on the Royal Deeside Railway a short drive from there.”