One of the world's most luxurious trains is returning to Scotland this Christmas, offering passengers champagne, caviar and a seven-course festive lunch as they travel through the winter countryside.

The Northern Belle will run two dedicated Christmas Lunch journeys from Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2026, with departures on Saturday 28 November and Friday 18 December.

Tickets cost £445 per person and include a red-carpet welcome, champagne reception, caviar blinis and a seven-course seasonal meal prepared on board.

Once aboard, passengers settle into armchairs in the train’s elaborately decorated Pullman-style carriages for a long Christmas lunch as the scenery passes outside.

The package includes a signature cocktail and small-bite pairing alongside the Champagne and caviar welcome, followed by a seasonal table d’hôte menu.

Wine selected by the train’s sommelier is included, with one bottle for every couple, before an award-winning British cheeseboard is served with Port.

Dessert, petits fours, Fortnum & Mason tea and Northern Belle coffee complete the meal, while strolling musicians provide live entertainment through the carriages.

There are also premium champagne packages, including a Krug option which can include seating in the train’s Duart or Glamis carriages.

Duart has a particularly unusual history. The carriage was built in 1961 and spent years as part of the Royal Train, initially serving as a support vehicle for Royal Household staff. It remained in Royal Train service until 1993.

The Northern Belle itself was created to recreate the glamour of the great Pullman trains of the 1920s and 1930s.

Its carriages were restored for the service by the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express company, with the train entering service around the turn of the millennium.

It was originally part of the Orient-Express group and carried passengers from northern Britain towards connections with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Today there are seven individually decorated Northern Belle carriages, each named after a British castle or stately home and featuring work by specialist marquetry makers, muralists and mosaic artists.

The Northern Belle is regularly voted one of the world’s top ten train journeys and features one of the individually hand-decorated carriages that once formed part of the Royal Train. Actor Bill Nighy described the train as “the Grand Dame of luxury travel” when it featured on Channel 5’s The World’s most Scenic Railway Journeys.

Northern Belle describes the festive experience as recreating the glamour of the golden age of rail travel, with Christmas decorations, crackers, live music and a deliberately leisurely meal as the train makes its way through the countryside.

The exact route for this year’s Christmas Lunch has yet to be confirmed, with Northern Belle’s final running schedule dependent on Network Rail. The journey is a circular tour rather than a simple trip between Glasgow and Edinburgh, giving passengers several hours of Scottish winter scenery while they dine.

Previous Scottish Christmas Lunch services have travelled from Glasgow to Edinburgh before heading through Fife to Perth and returning south through Stirling and the Forth Valley.

Head chef Matthew Green says: "One of the most rewarding aspects of cooking on the train is the opportunitv to work with a team of skilled and dedicated chefs. We work together to create a menu that is not only delicious, but also visually stunning. with each dish carefully crafted to showcase the natural beauty of the ingredients.

"Cooking on the Northern Belle is not only a culinary experience, but also a sensory one. The sights and sounds of the countryside, along with the gentle sway of the train, all contribute to a truly unique and unforgettable dining experience for our guests."