-I've been traveling the length and breadth of Scotland in the best way possible.

Onboard the Royal Scotsman... Ahh!

Felt good.

...an ultra-luxurious train that takes up to 2,000 guests a year around my homeland in luxury that is second to none.

Oh, look.

Its 10 carriages include sumptuous cabins for guests to sleep in... Ah, this is so great.

...two dining cars serving the finest haute cuisine, a spa carriage, and my favorite, the opulent observation car and bar.

This is the grandest of real adventures through the most romantic and rugged landscapes, stepping off the train to explore this country's historic landmarks...

Very powerful here.

...and exploring the wilder side of Scotland on the sea... Hey, stick to your acting, Alan.

...and on dry land.

[ Laughs ] And I have seen first-hand the exquisite work that goes on behind the scenes to maintain the high standards that keep the passengers coming back year after year.

-We used seven cases of champagne, for example.

-This is a VIP tour of Scotland like you've never seen before.

I'm driving a train.

So, join me to find out what it takes to keep this ultra-luxury train on the rails.

♪♪ I'm back in Edinburgh for the start of another grand rail tour on a route marvelously named "Scotland's Classic Splendours."

Forty guests from all over the world have arrived for an unforgettable experience.

And as we sip champagne at the luxurious Balmoral Hotel, I'm making some new friends.

-Where are you from?

-Chicago.

-Oh, nice.

-Yes.

-Hello.

Elizabeth.

-Hi, Elizabeth.

Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

I'm Alan.

-How are you doing?

-Christine.

-Hi, Christine.

Alan.

But I'm distracted by the view from the window.

This is so funny.

This is a picture of me when I was 8.

I was on a cub trip to Edinburgh.

Right up there on the ramparts of the castle, I'm sitting there and I'm looking down.

That behind me is the Balmoral.

There's the Scott monument, which is right there.

This was taken in 1973.

But now it's time to leave old memories behind and start making some exciting, new ones.

And there she is, the great beauty that is the Royal Scotsman.

As train manager Alex welcomes guests on board, for me, this place feels like a home away from home.

Hey, how are you?

Good to see you.

-Lovely to see you again.

-Everyone -- The gang's back.

Got the band back.

In no time, we're off, crossing the Forth Bridge to head up Scotland's east coast to Britain's most northerly city, Inverness, where I shall visit Culloden, site of the last battle to be fought on British soil.

From there, we'll travel along the length of the Kyle line, stopping at Plockton for a boat trip.

From Kyle of Lochalsh, we will travel back to Garve for a walk along an old cattle drover's trail, then on to Boat of Garten, where I get to live out a boyhood dream before a visit to Rothiemurchus Estate in the glorious Cairngorms.

The luxurious observation car is the train's best vantage point when it comes to absorbing the passing landscape.

It boasts an open-air veranda, the only outdoor observation platform on any train in Europe.

And it's just as well, too, as we'll be passing through some of my favorite parts of the country.

So while my fellow passengers enjoy a drink, my old pal Karen is letting me nose around the different kinds of luxury lodgings the train affords.

-So, Alan, I'll show you into our very first cabin.

-Wow.

So this is a twin.

-Multifunctional, where this one will fold up and clip in.

So they could also potentially be just for one guest, but gives them a little bit more room.

-That would be lovely.

I could do my exercises.

Could do my yoga.

-Yes, you certainly could do that.

And this one has a slightly bigger bathroom, as well.

-A little bit more room in there as, well.

-Lush.

Unlike on most luxury trains, each of the bedroom cabins has an en suite.

I love having a shower on a train.

It's the best.

You're like this.

-[ Laughs ] -It's really fun.

-A tip would be to do it when the train is at peace.

-No.

No, I will not.

-Let me show you round here.

-A-ha.

-Okay, so this is a lovely cabin.

This is one of three double cabins that we have, but this is the most accessible right at the very start of the train.

-And just look, you can just lie there and look out the windows.

-It is.

It's absolutely beautiful so you can capture the view as you lie, relax, and are resting.

It can be an adjoining room.

So what you could have, for example, is a family in here using the double-bed space, but also with access to the twin room next door.

And of course some people can also basically in effect hire the train and it can be a charter trip... -Ah, right.

-...where they -- they bring on all of their own friends, family.

-Hiring out the whole train.

Now, that's given me an idea for my next big birthday.

As we pass through Dundee, we're taking the east coast line and are nearing my old neck of the woods, the county of Angus, where I spent my childhood.

I liked being a country boy.

Now when I see where I grew up, it's this beautiful, bucolic place.

At the time, I just thought it was ugliest thing and just was desperate to get away.

And in my life, as I've grown older, I've, you know, gone back to wanting to live in a place very similar to that.

This is the North Sea, and it looks lovely.

And on a sunny day, we would go to the beach and...

It's absolutely freezing.

That's why I think we should be given wetsuits as soon as we're born in Scotland, and we should just wear them for the rest of our lives.

We've arrived in the capital of the Highlands, Inverness.

This is the most northerly city in the United Kingdom, where the River Ness flows into the Beauly Firth.

As train manager Alex helps my fellow passengers disembark, I'm off to visit one of the most historically important places in Scotland at nearby Culloden.

Here on the 16th of April, 1746, the Jacobite army led by Bonnie Prince Charlie began their last charge of a campaign to reclaim the British throne.

For 10 years, the historian Andrew McKenzie worked at the Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre, so he, along with trusty canine companion Sonas, is the perfect man to take me through the events of that fateful day.

-This battle lasted up to an hour.

-Is that it?

-That's it.

-Why did the Jacobites do so badly?

And why did the battle take place here?

-Well, we've got to remember that despite these men being very fit, they'd marched all the way to Derby with Charles Edward Stuart, and they'd marched all the way back to Scotland.

-Right.

-Many of the men at this point in the rising hadn't eaten for up to three weeks substantially.

-Well, then.

Why?

-Which is fairly shocking, isn't it?

Provisions of the Jacobite army had basically broken down at this point.

And they were actually behind us in this direction for the entire day on the 15th of April, 1746.

-What were they doing?

-Waiting.

They were just waiting for the Cumberland's army.

-The government army was led by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the second son of King George I.

-So the Jacobites are standing there on the 15th in winter conditions.

This April was very, very cold indeed.

-Yeah.

Most Aprils are.

-They're waiting all day.

But Cumberland doesn't come for a good reason.

It's his 25th birthday, and so he's providing his troops with extra rations.

He's having them toast him with rum to make sure that they are getting their morale up, supporting their commander-in-chief.

-Good PR.

-Very good tactics, as well.

He stays in Nairn, and then he marches towards the battle site here.

But overnight on the 15th, the Jacobite army have marched all the way to Nairn to try and catch the Hanoverians in their sleep.

-After they're all drunk on rum.

-They arrived far too late.

So the sun's already up.

They're spotted.

They have to return here to Culloden.

That's about 12 miles to Nairn approximately.

So it's a 22- to 24-mile march overnight in winter conditions, having stood on a muir all day... -And haven't eaten for weeks.

-...-in winter conditions without eating.

-On the government side, the Hanoverians did arrive.

They maneuvered into a strategically advantageous position from where Cumberland's cannons were able to bombard Jacobite lines.

At least 1,500 men were killed.

-We've got a record of what Cumberland then said to them.

He said, "For sweets for your fatigue."

So basically "For showing up today and not really getting as much of a battle as you expected and not getting to kill as many people as you expected, go off and hunt them down."

So this is the real beginnings, it's immediate beginnings of the repercussions that took place after Culloden.

The repercussions basically led to all sorts of things -which damaged Gaelic society.

-Oh, like -- like what?

Initially it's murdering people in the streets.

-That's what they did on that night?

They just murdered any -- -What we need to remember is the people they're chasing down, they don't necessarily look like Jacobites.

What makes you look like a Jacobite?

-Don't know.

-Pretty much nothing.

Maybe a white cockade on your bonnet.

But these people look like ordinary people, unless they're in one of the professional regiments.

They're cutting down innocent civilians at the same time.

The Disarming Acts was several acts that were brought in after Culloden.

And the Disarming Acts basically was to make sure that Gaelic people particularly couldn't hold arms.

You could also still wear tartan.

Women, children, and older men could wear tartan.

But it was fighting-age males that these restrictions applied to.

-And what effect did it have on the Gaelic language?

-So the Gaelic language was seen as a rebellious language, effectively.

It was certainly suppressed.

And we have all sorts of evidence in the years after Culloden of people being tried in English who didn't understand the language.

And it really was putting a very suppressive feel on the Gaelic language at that time across the Highlands.

-Gosh.

So it's amazing that something that only lasted -an hour... -Yep.

-...resonates so many hundreds of years later.

-Absolutely.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -It's very powerful here.

Very emotional.

♪♪ ♪♪ Culloden today serves as a visceral reminder of a once-bloody period of Scottish history.

There is a palpable sense of loss and sorrow as you wander through the heart of the battlefield where so many lives were tragically lost.

This was a pivotal moment in Scottish and indeed British history.

Following Culloden, rebellion was never again an option, and the Scottish culture and identity became subsumed into a larger British one for a long time.

A visit here isn't easy.

It's an atmospheric and deeply sorrowful place, but one that I am grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to see.

Back on the train, we've left Inverness behind and are gliding along the banks of the Beauly Firth, heading west on the Kyle of Lochalsh line.

Heralded as one of the world's greatest train journeys, it covers over 50 miles of wild and wondrous landscapes with mountains, moorland, lochs, and coastline in abundance.

♪♪ And while I could sit back and take in the views, I've decided to learn about napkin folding.

There's a different napkin fold for each meal, and with 40 guests eating three meals a day over several days, this is a Herculean task for all the staff.

Ellie and Robin show me one of the more complicated folds.

-What is this one?

-It is called Five Sisters.

So, you do quarters.

-Quarter.

-Quarters.

And then you need to make like five equal parts, like a fan.

-But you flip each time.

-Yeah.

And then these corners get tucked in on both sides.

And then each inside part gets pulled down.

-Okay.

-And then that's it.

-You need to take your jacket off for this, Alan.

You're like... -Have to get some rubber gloves.

Oh, what?

Oh, that's nice.

Yep.

As I thought, that is beyond me.

But there is something I can do.

I show you how you do my bandannas.

-Okay.

-Fold in like this.

Sometimes you get to the bottom, it doesn't quite match, but it doesn't matter because you only go like this.

See?

-Gorgeous.

-And so this concludes today's episode of "Fluttering About with Napkins" with my two lovely assistants, Robin and Ellie.

We'll be back next week when we'll be fluttering about with bread rolls.

-[ Both laugh ] -Thanks.

We pass the dramatic Torridon Peaks and descend into Strathcarron, following the edge of Loch Carron, weaving our way to our next stop of Plockton, a fishing village known as the Jewel of the Highlands.

It's a picture-perfect bay with swaying palm trees, endless sea views, and thriving marine life.

-Diane is telling you to see seals.

-Yes.

-Yeah, well, we have to find seals, or you'll be wanting your money back.

[ Laughter ] -My fellow guests and I are taking a special guided boat ride in search of some wildlife with the help of skipper Callum.

He and his crew have been exploring these waters for years, so I know we're in expert hands.

[ Birds squawking ] Look at that.

That's stunning.

We're passing Duncraig castle.

-I'm just going to show you my castle.

[ Laughter ] -And Heron Island, said to be J.M.

Barrie's inspiration for Neverland in "Peter Pan."

-Yes.

-Huh?

-No!

-Do you want to pour?

-Okay.

-As yet, not a seal in sight.

But first mate Christopher has other ways to keep our spirits up.

And in the absence of any wildlife, I'm sharing an old Scots toast.

You know, we say, "Here's tae us.

Wha's like us?

Gey few, and they're a deid."

That means "Here's to us, who's like us, people who are like us."

"Gey few" means there's very few of them, and they're all dead."

-So, the mountains are way down there.

That is the Isle of Skye.

-But wait.

Our skipper might just have spotted something.

-Seals.

-Oh, the seals.

At last, a whole colony of gray seals.

I'm delighted.

And it seems we've run into a few that Skipper Callum knows personally.

-See the two brown ones kind of in the middle -left of center?

-Yes.

-And the wee one below?

Well, the two brown ones, one's called Ron and the second brown one is Imbe.

And then there's a white one above them on the right called Lou.

Yeah, so, we know Ron Seal.

We know an "Imbe Seal."

[ Laughter, groaning ] And we know "Lou Seal."

-I'm going to show my ignorance.

But are some of the seals white with fur on them?

-Every year they get a brand-new coat.

-Okay, very good.

-That's why they're different colors.

-With the sun on our backs and a dram in our hands, spirits are high.

-And I'm not just making this up, but seals do like music.

You all know the "Skye Boat Song," don't you?

-Yes.

-♪ Speed bonnie boat like a bird on the wing ♪ ♪ Over the sea to Skye ♪ ♪ Carry the lad that's born to be king ♪ ♪ Over the sea to Skye ♪ -My dulcet tones must have impressed the skipper, as he's letting me captain the boat.

-Do you want to drive?

The rest of you, don't mind, dear.

-Ah, we're good.

-Yeah.

-There you are, sir.

-Thank you.

-Suits you.

Suits you.

-Thank you, sir.

-Keep her steady now.

-Keep her steady, Skip.

Which way should I go?

Should I go this way?

Straight.

Good luck with that.

-I hope he's better at acting than he is at driving.

[ Laughter ] -"Hey, stick to your acting, Alan."

-Stick to the acting!

-Yes, come on.

Thank you very much.

I love that!

Alan's Seal Tours, coming soon to Plockton.

Nailed it.

Thanks, boys.

It was so nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Really lovely.

-Cheers, cheers.

-Thanks, Callum.

Today?

It was magical.

I drove a boat.

I'm just having a little moment to recoup and reboot and reassess after that little sailor moment before we go back on the train.

And tonight is the first formal dinner.

So, none of these casual-yet-stylish things.

I shall be buttoned up and polished.

And lubricated.

And while I'm partaking in another light libation, work doesn't stop back on the train.

Having reached Kyle of Lochalsh, where we're stabling for the night, train guard Michael is uncoupling the engine as it needs to be shunted to the other end of the train.

Once in place, ready for leaving in the morning, it pushes the carriages into place.

-Coaches to go, John.

-[ Beeps ] -Set back, set back.

One coach to go, John.

Six...four...two.

Stop, stop, stop, John.

-Michael, safe trip.

-Okay, John.

Thank you.

-What a place to stop for a night.

All the while on board ahead of tonight's dinner, executive chef Mark and his team continue to cook up a storm in the confines of the train's tiny kitchen.

-And we become like a ballet dancer, because you have to move past each other.

So, people notice in a sense if somebody wants to get past, and they'll move up the road.

-With their prep for the evening already complete, including countless napkins folded, restaurant staff Ellie, Julie, and Robin are making the most of a few hours off.

Staff on board this train can take downtime in unique ways, with wild swimming the perfect antidote to working in the close confines of the train.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughter ] It's moments like this that make working on this train even more special.

♪♪ ♪♪ I'm suited and booted and looking forward to the evening of fine dining that lies ahead.

Thank you.

-Martini?

-Delicious!

-Enjoy.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-So, tonight, as you might have realized, it's the first formal dinner.

Hence my attire.

So, we get this beautiful view of Skye.

There's the bridge across Skye and the islands beyond.

As guests take their seats in the swift dining car, behind the scenes, it's action stations for the front-of-house and kitchen teams.

You know, the Queen Mary II, I've done that a couple of times with my mum, and there was a recipe, some soup or something, and she really wanted the recipe.

And so, we said to chef, "Oh, could we have the recipe?"

And he went, "Sure."

And he brought us back this thing, and it said things like "25 gallons of cream, 75 eggs," because it was how much you make for the entire... [ Laughter ] When it comes to the five-star food on board, every passenger's preferences are catered to.

Each guest is consulted daily on the sumptuous menu of delicacies they'll be served.

-Alan, your broccoli, asparagus with cherry tomatoes and truffles dressing.

-Thank you.

It's delicious!

Each course is accompanied by a wine pairing.

Oh, gosh.

I know.

Aah!

[ Chuckles ] Oops.

Think I've had one glass too many.

And the delicious food keeps on coming.

The care and attention that chef Mark and his team put into every dish is evident.

There's even fresh fish and meat options available for the non-vegans on board.

I've just stepped out between courses.

It's so lovely to be with all these people from all over the world, people I never normally meet.

All darlings.

And just having this great conversation with great food and in my homeland, and they're all loving it.

And I know I've had a few glasses of wine.

But I think it's just beautiful.

♪♪ Today we're retracing a route along the Kyle line.

When it opened in 1897, this stretch between Kyle of Lochalsh and Stromeferry was the most expensive railway constructed in Britain.

♪♪ It took four years to lay just ten miles of tracks through Ross-shire's mountainous landscape in order to reach the port at Kyle.

Having sailed past Loch Luichart, we've arrived into Garve Station.

I'm joining my fellow passengers for some fresh air and a walk in the hills on a route that was used in the 18th century to herd cows to market, known as cattle droving.

Andrew McKenzie is back with his encyclopedic knowledge of Highland history, this time wearing traditional drover dress, to tell us about what life would have been like for the herdsmen.

-This is not the kind of clothing that a drover would wear if he was going to ride a horse.

They would normally wear trews, and that's because this is their sleeping bag.

This is all you need to survive in the hills for multiple days at a time.

And I have tried it, and it does work, okay?

And it's not comfortable, I must say.

So, that's why the drovers would be looking to get into the inns as often as possible.

-Droving was a vital part of the Highland economy.

In order to reach livestock markets in the larger towns, drovers would have to cover up to 150 miles of steep terrain, often herding hundreds of cattle at a time.

-Generally speaking, a township would have one, maybe two cows per household.

Smaller townships would join with other townships to drove their cattle together.

So you could have 16 to 20 cows, or you could have one to possibly up to 300 cows moving at once.

-With such high value placed on cattle, incidences of cows being stolen at night along the droving routes were commonplace.

-They needed to protect their cattle.

He could have carried a dirk, which I have on my belt here, a 12-to-16-inch piece of steel, which is a fighting knife as much as it is a hunting knife.

Right.

We'll move on and have a look at the military bridge just around the corner now.

-The little Garve Bridge over the Black Water River would have been a resting spot for drovers traveling south.

It was built in 1762 as part of General George Wade's network of military roads, which enabled soldiers to move around the Highlands in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745.

-Well, General George Wade, he had a protégé called William Caulfield.

William Caulfield, when he was in charge of the roadways, built over 300 bridges, including this one, and over 800 miles of road.

-Caulfield's roads made remote areas accessible for the first time, and some are still in use today.

-Scottish mountaineering wouldn't be what it is today without those military roads, and also tourism wouldn't be what it is today without Caulfield's roads, as well.

-There you go.

Now all you Munro baggers know who you have to thank.

Meanwhile, back on the train, Robin is setting for dinner service.

All bedroom cabins have been refreshed while we guests are out and about, so the head of housekeeping, Karen, has the chance to stop for a quick chat with her daughter.

-So, she came to start working on the Royal Scotsman a couple of weeks prior to me.

You came home with lots of really interesting stories about all the training and all the different things she was learning about the foods, the wines.

So, I decided that I'd come and join her.

-We don't work fairly closely because my mum's up the back of the train, and I'm down at the front of the train in the restaurant, but we share a room, so we live quite closely.

-We have little moments, but, in general, I think we get on really, really well, and it's a great opportunity.

It's something I never thought we'd get the chance to do.

-After rejoining the train, we're heading into the Cairngorms.

We pass through Carrbridge, home of the World Porridge Making Championships, and as we approach Aviemore we catch a glimpse of the Corries up ahead.

This Grade-A-listed Victorian station is one of the busiest on the Highland Main Line, and it's also the terminus of a private line called the Strathspey Railway.

So, what's happening right now?

This engine here is from the Strathspey Railway, the private line.

It's coming down here to hook on to us.

Our engine that's been pushing us all around Scotland has been uncoupled at the other end of the train, and this one is going to pull us towards Boat of Garten and onto the private Strathspey line.

And the man making this all happen is train driver Keith.

He knows the rails like the back of his hand.

So, he's just the person to talk me through our move onto the private Strathspey line.

-Hello, Keith.

I'm Alan.

-Hi.

-Are you a real-life train driver?

-You could say that.

I'm the driver of the diesel that's going to haul the Royal Scotsman to Boat of Garten.

-Once we're on the Strathspey line, we can do what we like.

-Yeah, we can't really do what -- we're subject to the same rules and regulations as the main line.

-But there's no other trains going to be on it.

-There's not, no.

We're still subject to an awful lot of rules.

-It can be a little crazy.

-[ Laughing ] Well, no.

-Like, I could maybe drive a train.

-Definitely not.

Well, we might let you when we get the boat with the engine on its own, certainly not with the train on.

Climb up.

-So, on this first stretch of our journey, while the rest of the train carriages are attached, I need to pay attention to what he's doing if I'm going to have any chance of driving this engine.

[ Horn honks ] Such fun.

-Here we go very gently uphill.

-That's life, though, isn't it?

-[ Laughs ] Downhill.

-The Strathspey line is a 10-mile stretch of heritage track running from Aviemore to Broomhill, with the Strathspey Railway Association providing funding and volunteers to run the railway.

Such a cute station.

Perfect.

Keith is uncoupling the locomotive from the rest of the carriages in order to shunt to the other end of the train.

Tomorrow morning, it'll be at the right end to once again pull the train out.

And while we're not attached to any passenger carriages, I am getting the chance of a lifetime.

I have never driven a train before, but I have made my little-boy train set.

Dreams are all being regurgitated.

It's very exciting.

-Right.

Move the controller into forward.

-Which way is that?

-Forward.

Forward.

That's what it says, right?

-Yeah.

-The horn.

-[ Horn honks ] -That's it.

Right.

Put this... Just bring it back one notch.

Then you need to forward.

-Tap on the horn.

-[ Horn honks ] Power -- one notch.

Turn the brake off.

Take your foot off that pedal.

I got all of it.

No, you're not sitting there.

-You've got to keep your foot down.

I'm driving a train.

♪♪ Can I do a honk?

[ Horn honks ] Although only a short stretch of the Strathspey line remains, the line originally ran much further, from Dufftown to Nethy Bridge.

Can I do the horn one more time?

Yeah, all right, one more time.

[ Horn honks ] -Ha ha!

-Right.

Little bit more.

That's it.

Not too much.

-And just like that, in a few short minutes, my childhood dream of being a train driver is over.

Another one ticked off the bucket list.

-All right.

Thanks so much.

-All right.

You know, it's so different when I'm not sitting there, trying to remember everything.

-I know.

It's like doing this.

That was such fun.

I can't believe how fun that was.

Please shut that door in case anyone falls out.

That was great.

In Strathspey, in the Highlands, the train is stopped at the Boat of Garten station.

Boat of Garten was one of the casualties of the notorious Beeching cuts.

-Dr. Beeching's new look for British Railways is as sweeping as expected.

His blueprint promises a big upheaval.

One station in three would close, 260 passenger services would stop running.

Eventually 70,000 railway jobs, 1 in 6, could disappear.

-Boat of Garten reopened in 1978 as a private line, running steam-train trips to Aviemore.

And I'm meeting Doug, who is the chairman of the Strathspey Railway Company.

With a 30-plus-year career in global engineering, Doug now spends his time fascinated by all things steam-railway-related.

-Hi!

-Doug.

-Alan, welcome to Boat of Garten station.

-Thank you very much.

-How nice to see you here.

-You too.

You too.

-Yeah.

-So tell me more about exactly what the Strathspey Railway is.

-It's the crystallization of the dreams of a few railway enthusiasts.

-It's lovely.

-We're effectively a tourist railway.

-Right, you do joyrides.

-What we try to do is re-create what railway travel was like when railways were the main means of public transport.

-And so this was a section of the railway that used to be a part of the main Scottish railway system.

-Mm-hmm.

-And then... -Dear old Dr. Beeching.

-Ah!

-Yeah, yeah.

-Every part of the country is affected, but the most dramatic effects are in Scotland.

Remote areas of the Highlands will lose their passenger services.

North of Aberdeen very few will be left, and south of Edinburgh, too, many local passenger services will go.

-It turns out afterwards that a lot of the branch lines that were shut were actually generating a lot of the profit that the main lines had depended on, and that wasn't discovered until after the branch trains were gone.

-This is very much a highlight of the trip, I think, for everybody to get to come and be in this beautiful station and to go on a private line.

-Yes.

And see our beautiful floral displays.

-Gorgeous.

Back on board, the team are hard at work.

♪♪ -Right now I'm putting through a beverage order to arrive next week.

We make lots of cocktails, pour lots of whiskeys.

Lots of champagne is served.

-Drinks on board are all-inclusive, and the train's bar doesn't close until the last guest goes to bed.

-On the previous trip, which was four nights, we used seven cases of champagne, for example, which is quite typical of a four-day trip.

So, we do go through quite a lot.

-And it's a good job they are restocking, as I think supplies are about to take another hit.

Sylvia worked in luxury hotels and a whiskey distillery before joining the train and becoming its first whiskey ambassador.

I've jumped back on board to find out more about the regions and varieties of whiskey.

So, Sylvia, how do you get to be an onboard whiskey ambassador on the Royal Scotsman train, especially because you're from Poland?

-Yeah, I'm from Poland, and when I arrived in Scotland, it was 2014.

I didn't know anything about whiskey.

I started my first job in a whiskey bar.

I've never seen so many whiskeys in my life.

I just knew that I cannot ignore whiskey any longer.

I tasted, and I discovered, "Oh, I like whiskey."

I didn't know that.

-The main sort of differences about whiskey are the way that the bottles that they're put in.

-So, there are two types of casks very commonly used for maturation in Scotland.

One of them is a bourbon cask, and the other one is a sherry cask.

There are five whiskey regions in Scotland -- Lowlands in the south, Highlands, the biggest geographical whiskey region, Speyside, we are now.

Speyside's kind of within Highland, very small region.

And then going to West Coast it's Islay, which is a famous region for smoky whiskey.

And then there's the Campbeltown, little town and the peninsula, Kintyre.

-Do you know the famous Campbeltown whiskey song?

-♪ Ah, Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whiskey ♪ ♪ Campbeltown Loch, och aye!

♪ ♪ Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whiskey ♪ ♪ A wid drink ye dry ♪ -And I know your preferences already.

You like whiskeys from the sherry casks.

-I do.

I love a sherry cask.

-Yeah, that's where most of these whiskeys are from.

-Oh, are they?

Oh, great.

Shall we taste some?

-Yes!

So, the most sherry whiskey out of here is Strathisla.

-Strathisla.

-Look at the color.

I even had a little taste before.

Oh, my goodness.

Smell that.

-[ Inhales deeply ] Honestly, that opens up my tubes.

-Like [Indistinct] before?

-Yeah.

I've had a blocked ear today, and I had a sniff of whiskey like that.

And it opened up my tubes.

-Yes.

That's good.

It's very, very smooth.

-Purely medicinal, you understand?

This is purely medicinal.

And slàinte!

I'm going to give that an 8.5.

-Hey, that's quite high.

-Yes, I'm starting high.

-How are you for a smoky whiskey?

-I'll give it a go.

-Now, some people love it.

Some people hate it.

-See, I love that.

It's got a sort of -- I mean, it's a smoky, obviously, but it's almost like leather.

-Every whiskey has its own character.

And that's the whole beauty.

And every whiskey has its own story.

-This one is 46%.

-Oh, my God!

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Slàinte!

-Slàinte!

-L'chaim!

Here's to the end of the world.

-Smooth.

-Not too bad.

There are over 70 different whiskeys to sample on board, and while it's fascinating to learn about, it's also the perfect dram for guests to enjoy while partying into the wee small hours.

♪♪ ♪♪ And I've already exceeded my nightcap limit, so it's off to bed for me.

Night-night!

And while the train is at Boat of Garten, I'm off to Rothiemurchus Estate.

It's one of the largest areas of natural forest in Britain, with an extraordinary variety of wildlife that depends on it for survival.

The estate offers guests a veritable playground of outdoor activities, including clay-pigeon shooting, fishing, quad biking, and gorgeous walks.

And while my fellow passengers indulge in some of those activities, I've been making some new friends with head ranger Ollie.

Oh.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Come here.

Oh!

-Sass kitties!

-Oh.

Good boy.

What I'm really here for is something special.

I'm meeting Johnny, who has over 20 years experience in falconry and wildlife education.

-Hello.

-Hi, guys.

How are you doing?

-This is Johnny.

-Hi, Johnny.

I'm Alan.

-Nice to meet you, Alan.

Follow me.

We're going to take you and introduce you to a white-tailed sea eagle and some of our dogs that are part of a white-tail project.

-Bring it on.

[ Chuckles ] -Let's go.

-The falconry he's established here allows visitors the opportunity to see and meet a selection of birds of prey and learn about their behavior and habits.

This includes educational flying displays and the breathtaking scenery around the estate.

-They go on your left hand, okay?

There's a little bit of tradition involved in it, and we believe that they used to carry a bird on the left hand so they could still draw a sword on their right.

-Very useful.

I can still get my phone out.

-Exactly.

So I'm going to go and get the eagle.

You can relax for a minute and then... -Words I never thought I'd be hearing when I woke up this morning.

-And then when she comes out, then we're going to get you bracing, okay?

-Got it.

-Ready for impact?

-Yes.

[ Gasps ] Shut the front door.

What the hell?

-So, this is Stiaura, and she's a female white-tailed eagle.

So, we take her hood off quite simply, and we send her to her great, big log.

And she is heavy.

So, when she comes into you, you must tell me when your arm is going to drop off.

Okay?

But you're going to do it one arm to begin with, and you're going to try, like I say, and hold her as long as you can.

Hold on to the quail.

-In she comes... -Oh, for...sake.

-...and there you go.

And then just keep your arm there.

So, that's always good.

-Coming in.

Good girl.

-Wow!

-And, um -- -Oh, my God!

It's just so crazy.

-Oh, she's doing her turkey impression now.

-[ Both laugh ] -Look at her.

-So, we're going to give you another go.

-Okay.

-Go!

-Are you ready?

-Yes.

-Steady.

Go!

-Stiaura is one of only around 300 white-tailed eagles in Scotland.

And they're a protected species.

However, some farmers believe eagles have killed hundreds of lambs over the last decade.

-We're trying to do a project where farmers and eagles can coexist without the need of shooting or culling eagles, basically.

Bop-bop-bop.

-Johnny hopes an answer could lie with his livestock-protection dogs, Luigi and Peaches.

They're a breed called Maremmas and are specially trained to protect flocks of sheep by scaring off eagles.

-So, they're a little bit over the top because they are still puppies at the moment.

-Oh, are they?

-He -- this is Luigi.

-Luigi!

-Big, old Luigi is like a big baby.

And then Peaches, who's already off guarding her sheep, she is about 10 months, 11 months.

When an eagle flies over the flock of lambs, I want that eagle thinking that these dogs are wolves, because the one thing an eagle is not going to mess with n the wild is a wolf.

And if you've got a dog like Peaches, there's an eagle flying over, and she's barking at it, that eagle should think, "No, thank you," and just go elsewhere to look for food.

Something I've been using is a massive drone with a Frankenstein eagle lure that hangs underneath the drone and flies through the paddock.

Peaches is amazing.

She barks.

She drives it away.

-Such an amazing thing, though.

I think that's really great that you've done that or are doing that.

And do you think ultimately other people will train dogs to do this, too?

-What I'd really like is to prove that it works.

The actual project will go with lamb here so that the dogs are fully trained around sheep giving birth.

Then we will place them with a farmer who is having problems with eagles.

Then we'll make sure that the dogs do their job, and then we'll supply more farmers with dogs.

And then once enough of them have dogs, like I said, it becomes self-sufficient.

-After all that excitement, I think some calm is needed.

And what better way than yoga with resident teacher Katie... -All right.

How about this for a spot?

-Well, not bad!

-It's pretty good, eh?

-...in a location like no other?

-Want to lay your mat there, and I'll put mine here.

Can face the mountains.

-I've been doing yoga for more than 30 years, but no fancy studio has ever given me the feeling I have doing it here in this rugged, mesmerizing landscape.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The perfect end to a perfect day.

♪♪ Next time, the trip's coming to an end.

So I seek some spirituality.

Gosh, this is incredible.

I explore the old capital...

This was the original site of the first Scottish Parliament, ...and have my knees up on the platform before saying goodbye to all my friends.

-Bye!

-Thank you!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪