GREAT RAILWAY ADVENTURES

Climb aboard a train this summer and journey through some of Britain's most majestic countryside, from Scotland's Highland coast to the quiet hills and vales of the Cotswolds

HIGHLAND EXPRESS

The rhythmic chug of a train as it bustles through the British countryside never fails to elicit a sense of times past and journeys to come. Few lines are more evocative and exhilarating than the West Highland Line, writes Chris Gee "here's still something romantic about rail travel across the British Isles.

Stepping on board at your departure station marks the beginning of an adventure as your train gets underway to take you effortlessly to your destination.

Grab a window seat and then sit back to watch the journey unfold outside: townscapes giving way to suburbs, which in turn are replaced by a rolling countryside of fields, trees, hills, hedgerows, moors, mountains and stunning coastal views.

There's a more intimate connection with the landscape as your train whisks you on high embankments, across tall viaducts and through those tunnelled feats of engineering. When there's a steam locomotive at the head of your train, that sense of effort is palpable, and the chug of the locomotive and smell of hot steam only adds to the sensory experience.

TRACKS THROUGH TIME

Britain's rail network expanded rapidly in the mid-19th century to spread to the far reaches of this land. The railway enabled

the Industrial Revolution, introduced standardised time across Britain, and was a great social leveller, opening up affordable and practical holidays and travel for all.

For a brief period in the 1960s, the railways of Britain fell out of favour as we fell in love with the car, but the early 21st century saw a rail renaissance as a greener alternative to congested roads.