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The Royal Scotsman
In the 1980s Ailsa Porter wrote about her experiences with the Royal Scotsman train for ‘Guidelines’.
‘February, 1985. The 'phone rang. "An unusual project - a train - no, not like the Orient Express - a unique venture - were we interested?" Intrigued (and flattered) my friend and I went to a very exclusive hotel to meet the sponsors. At last someone had realised our worth. Heads were almost too big to go through doors. - but not for very long. My 'other half’ had been in publishing and we were being asked to write a guide-book to be given to passengers - projected start May, area 1000 miles of track plus side trips, but a quick consultation proved that neither their money nor our time was enough for a guidebook - so that ended part one.
‘For me, however, this unusual train spelt CHALLENGE. "What about having a live guide on the train?", I ventured, adding that there was an organisation of qualified guides in Scotland, and (ever so casually) I was a member.. "Oh no' came the answer, "we don't need a guide, just a guidebook. Anyway there's no space for a guide. One of the staff will do any guiding needed in their spare time". Incensed and rather puce in colour, I did a hard sell, offered to sleep on the floor and work for very little on a week's tryout - anything to get a guide (preferably me) on board, so that's how Blue Badges came to be on the Royal Scotsman. (I later learnt that an Edinburgh guide had been approached, but being one of our best, had enough sense to decline).
‘We've had massive media coverage here and abroad, but if anyone doesn't know the details, The Royal Scotsman is a luxury train travelling through Scotland out of Edinburgh Waverley. Privately owned, with vintage coaches in distinctive livery, a season from May to November, a maximum of 28 passengers, crew of 12-14; it is a country house hotel on wheels. Two chefs cook delectable food from a tiny kitchen with not a micro-wave in sight.
We have our own coach and driver, John Allan, for excursions mainly to houses etc. not normally open to the public and everything is included in the cost, even wines (an excellent selection). The crew is ever cheerful and I'm spoilt something rotten. I also do some guiding! ‘Preparation for the first trip involved hours of train riding, checking points of interest one side out, a quick tum round and the other side back. Time values vanished - I once tried to get lunch at Kyle of Lochalsh at 10.30am. No guidebooks equal private, personal visits as we have to be prepared to guide anywhere if our hosts are absent, so that needed a day per castle.
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