Strathspey Steam Railway in Inverness

Took grandson on steam train and we enjoyed it just as much as him.Little bit expensive if you book afternoon tea but reasonable to just ride and return

Beautiful victorian station shared with British Rail.Rolling stock good especially observation carriage and private observation saloon.Not enough time to explore station stop with model railway..and well attaired railway staff tadge officious..engine drivers not particularly communicative.2Mt mogul provided steam.Trolley service on train.Most surprised no information on train and when gaurd came into carriage was hell bent on selling lottery tickets rather than answering questions.There appeared interesting carriages and rolling stock on line.

Definitely worth that money.Good time with family

Fantastic trip. Train is great and the food and service second to none. Shout out to Dylan who was excellent as our waiter.

Lovely scenery, very chilled journey. Train and stations very clean and nice staff.

This was a very relaxing trip and great reminder of how things used to be when trains ran fuss free a d were more reliable than they are now. The train leaves Aviemore station for the short trip to Boat of Garten and Broomhill. At Boat of Garten there is a 10 min stop We didnt alight from our carriage as at that point it had decided to rain. We had a very comfortable private compartment in which we were served a very nice light lunch.There were several soupn sandwich choices. I had green pea soup andegg mayo sandwiches followed by tea and shortbread. Service was great, staff were friendly and helpful and the whole trip was run very efficiently. A very nice experience indeed.

Wonderful trip, the tea was delicious - everything made fresh on the train. The staff were all so friendly! Janet in particular was amazing, we are so glad we did this on our holiday!

Had a fantastic little trip out behind a Steam Locomotive, Fairly priced and friendly staff

Beautiful railway, the friendliest staff and an a amazing experience! Highly recommend for any trip to the highlands!

O e of my trains was cancelled halfway through my journey I spoke to the lovely lady at the ticket desk and she was amazing she helped me find the trains I needed to get home. It was no bother for her she was happy to help. Brilliant station staff are wonderful and very helpful.

I arranged the trip as a surprise anniversary present for my parents. It was excellent. When I booked I mentioned that my dad was blind and would need assistance and would like to be near the door and a toilet. They looked after my dad right from the start. We were placed near the door and the toilet. My parents had a great time. They were made to feel very special. It was the best anniversary ever. Thank you so much to all the staff...xx

Very good time, staff were very nice, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful

Amazing day out. Fantastico! Good experience. Station master was great at advising best time to book. Book on line in advance to be certain of seats and especially if your wanting the tea and sandwiches service.

This place oozes nostalgia. We have been before, but this time we booked to have the light lunch. Everything was beautifully done, the soup and sandwiches were excellent, as was the scenery. Two hours of enjoyment and and relaxation. Not to be missed.

Wonderful old steam train pulling a ride through the scenic Spey river valley. Great to see this bit of history being kept alive. A nice little stop at Boat of Garten where we saw the train taking on water, a quick snack at the cafe and on to the end of the line at Broomhill. If you even remotely like trains this is a cant miss.

What an amazing afternoon tea travelling by steam train in the Directors private carriage. The staff were so friendly, hard working and very knowledgeable. The Strathspey Railway restoration project is ongoing and funded through charitable donations. Would highly recommend the trip... the staff are so passionate about what they do and that shone through each and everyone one if them. Well done 👏

Not one of the most exciting or inspiring railway journeys. The countryside it passed through was nothing special, although, as we took this trip towards the end of our week touring Scotland, I might have been a victim of scenery fatigue!

We had a delicious afternoon tea which my husband and I devoured...maybe because we were served ours when the return journey started and we were waiting anxiously for our sugar fix. But really it was delicious!

Great experience, kids loved seeing the steam train. Everyone at the station was helpful and friendly.There is a Tesco car park just along the road that you can park In as only a very small car.park at the station. My little boy got a picture on the train 🚂

Really enjoyed our journey through the beautiful scenery

We took the train up to Boat of garten and then walked back to Aviemore along the Spey with the dog. The train was very charming and interesting, all the staff were very friendly. We managed to choose one of the few days where a diesel powered train is used. While it would have been nice to see the steam train, this didnt really detract from the experience inside the train and station. Highly recommended

Wonderful morning out with our 3 year old, 11 year old and two dogs. We did the return journey from Aviemore to Broomhill then back again. Would highly recommend!

Great way to spend an hour or so on this train. The staff were very well trained and pleasant. The work that goes into keeping this going is immense and mostly volunteered. At Broomhill the WC facilities were very clean and well looked after and worth a donation. A very pleasant trip. Would highly recommend.

A fab trip out on this beautifully restored old steam train, wonderful staff, very distinguishable uniforms which adds to the experience, tickets prices are decent for such a unique experience in the Highlands, nice clean and warm coaches makes it a pleasant place to be. Our little boy loved it along with the wee drive in my R5. You could make a day of it with the activities available in Aviemore and the surrounding areas, we will certainly be back.

Had a wonderful train journey, with lunch the on the train. The train stewards were very well presented, answering all the questions asked. Truly recommend this great experience on the steamtrain

We were in the directors carriage and were attended to by Lorna and Dermaid (sorry if thats wrong spelling). During our journey they were both informative and enlightening regarding past and present local history. We also learned a lot about the engine and carriages.We had a choice of 2 soups and also had sandwiches. I would have preferred to have had a menu prior to boarding for the choice of sandwich (we have fussy people in our grouphaving said that the sandwiches were lovely and went down a treat with our soup and tea.A worthwhile couple of hours spent during our time in Aviemore

Great day out at the Strathspey Railway over the Easter holiday. Staff very friendly and always happy to help

Nice trip on steam engine train. Has dining cars if so inclined.

Absolutely fantastic! We did the return trip from Aviemore to Broomhill with light lunch.The sandwiches and soup were absolutely delicious, and the friendliness of the staff was second to none. Highly recommended, and we will certainly do this trip again when next in the area.

A relaxing journey through beautiful scenery. The railway was the busiest its been in terms of the number of trains running as it was a Diesel Gala, the first one on this line.

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Well worth doing, highly recommend. Staff great and friendly.

Absolutely fantastic experience on the Strathspey Steam train. Gorgeous afternoon tea with prosecco. Wonderful, friendly, attentive staff. Stunning scenery. A must visit ❤️

Great experience, will definitely do it again. Staff were super ! And loads of fun!

A really lovely experience, absolutely all of the workers/volunteers were so nice and accomodating. Afternoon tea was also delicious! A really great laid back afternoon.

Lovely journey, easy to book online but I wanted to buy a first class ticket but couldnt see the option on the booking link. Bit of a squash in a crowd to collect the tickets on the day of travel. Refreshments trolley came round on the outbound journey. Lots of photo opps on the stop off en route

The trip is excellent with a very nostalgic train ride through beautiful scenery. The staff are all very pleasant, friendly and helpful.

What a fantastic way to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Decided on a light lunch in First Class so we had the compartment to ourselves. Absolutely brilliant. Staff were so kind, nothing too much trouble. Lovely home made soup and sandwich with tea or coffee, topped off with a celebratory bottle of bubbly.Beautiful way to see the glorious Strathspey Valley.Would certainly do it again.

Had a lovely afternoon going up and down the line on the Strathspey Steam Railway. We went for the afternoon tea option, that comes with a mini prosecco , cream tea, sandwiches , cake . Views out of the window were great unlike a lot of these steam trips. Staff were helpful and friendly. Expect large coach trips who will board first, so be patient. Highly recommended .

After the previous visit we returned for an evening meal on the 27th of Aug 21.We were really impressed. The views, the food, the friendly and attentive staff. Just made it all effortless.We were so lucky with the weather to stop and look across the Cairngorm National park, sipping some of the best Scottish Whisky with excellent traditional food.We would have liked to have done first class but even though we booked months in advance, were told it was not running. Slightly disappointed to hear from other passengers it was actually running for them.Highly recommended! Would return but only for a different experience.Visited for afternoon tea on the 27th of Aug 2020.Overall had a really good time on the Strathspey Steam Railway. Its great to step back in time and see the scenery while enjoying a nice afternoon tea and a few drinks.Positives,Booking was easy and lots of clear covid information on their website. Fast and secure payment.The staff on board and along the platform were very friendly, bubbly and professional(apart from the first two ladies)On board the train the staff were so helpful and very fast with service.Really good spacing and distancing.Good quality afternoon tea with a great selection of beverages.Negatives,The website was a bit on the poor side. Navigation wasnt as smooth as some. When I arrived I overheard first class and was left a little disappointed this was not an easy option to find when booking given the small price difference.On arrival the first two ladies who gave us the tickets were rude and first impressions were awful. Not once did I hear a please or thank you to any customers. They barked orders at people waiting. Fair enough it was to maintain social distance, however lack signage meant people didnt know where they were ment to go. Something to improve on.On board the menu of sandwiches was a bit abnormal. Any other afternoon tea I have had was simply a selection served. This would save time for the staff when serving perhaps.More value could be placed on the "local produce" the Jam was from Essex.... perhaps a local provider would be better?Overall I would recommend the Strathspey Steam Railway as a family event with some small changes.

Booking experience was slightly confusing as website indicated no tickets were available however we went down on the day to Broomhill station and was able to buy two tickets with no issues so its worth attempting if you can. We started from Broomhill a great old station decommissioned in I think 65, the station manager on charge used to work at this station and has now returned as a volunteer. Takes about 30 minutes to Aviemore and then you can explore before return. Wont get deep into train stuff as Im sure there are many more reviews that are more accurate than anything I could say on the subject.

We booked the chairmans carriage for afternoon tea and had a lovely afternoon the food was lovely and our steward ( Dairmidwas lovely with a great knowledge of not only the railway but the surrounding area, pointing out many places to us. Being pulled along by a steam engine was a fantastic experience and the noise brought back memories of my childhood watching trains running on a track now long removed.

If it’s hot and there’s threat of fire from the steam train then you’ll get a diesel - they do make this clear on the website - sadly as it was roasting when we went and there had indeed been a fire started in the heather the previous day we had diesel. Still lovely “period” carriages.The stops in each station are very brief, like a real train, so don’t expect long for photos.The steam railway platform and the main line platform are actually separate - albeit in the same building. We crossed the metal bridge to the train in the station to ask to use the toilets before boarding. We were asked abruptly if we had tickets - which we had - and then told regardless we couldn’t use the toilets until closer to boarding and was sent to the main station toilets. When we got in to that platform they said it was for Scot Rail customers only. Not the greatest customer experience.Dining cart looks lovely! (We we’re cheap and took an M&S afternoon tea with us)

An absolutely delightful afternoon tea in the first class carriage of the beautiful steam train. Without exception the staff were lovely. Helpful, kind and cheery, they made the trip extra special. The afternoon tea was good and the views along the line were fab. A very specia afternoon for the family, thank you Strathspey staff

Excellent value for afternoon tea and a lovely scenic trip which lasts for approx an hour and a half. Well worth doing if your in the neighbourhood.

Super friendly/helpful conductor arranging with us to get later train back - we walked the river to Nethy Bridge for lunch and back for later train.Youngs kids loved it so much! We enjoyed the pleasant views and ride on historic steam train!Not all staff we as helpful, and yes the route is not through epic mountains, but we came for a peaceful steam train ride and were not disappointed - and they have Black Gold beer yummy!Lots of old train industry relics in yards as you pass!

What a fabulous morning trip up and down the track on this lovely steam train! Incredibly easy to book, fantastically well organised taking into account all the Covid restriction requirements. Welcoming and helpful service all the way down the line. Highly recommend a trip on this train with anyone of any age. We ranged from 1 year old to 82 years old and a good time and hot tea and KitKats were enjoyed by all! Lovely!

Great way to spend a couple of hours. Good scenery on the journey, and the train stops at two very quaint little where you can get out and look around. The mince pies and mulled wine (it was Decemberwere a nice touch and theres a bar selling drinks and snacks too.

Had a fantastic trip on the Santa Express. The kids absolutely loved it and were so excited. The scenery is amazing. The steam train is awesome. Santa was a dude and the elves made it perfect! Thoroughly recommended experience.

Really great, uplifting experience! And further improved by very helpful and engaged staff, they really helped us experience the train trip in the best possible way. The weather also served us so it was an unforgettable event!

A great day out with friends and family. The children loved the old trains and carages. Great cup of tea and lunch. Not very long but the views are breath taking and well worth the afternoons trip for nostalgic reasons. The station is even better, in keeping with the days of steam. Pity they modernised all the main line stations. Some things are better left alone. Will be going back every year.