All Aboard the Northern Belle: A Heritage Journey Through Wood, History and the Wild North
- Lomond
- Aug 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 11
There's something about a luxury train that a hotel can't quite replicate — the gentle sway of the carriage, the rhythmic clatter of wheels on steel, and the countryside scrolling past your window like a living painting. The Northern Belle is one of Britain's last great heritage trains, a rolling time capsule of 1930s glamour where every wood panel tells a story, every carriage has a name, and the dining car serves seven-course meals as the Highlands unfold outside.
What makes the Northern Belle special isn't just the food or the scenery — it's the craftsmanship. The marquetry panels that line the walls were made by A Dunn and Son, a family firm of marquetry cutters working since 1895, and the same family that created panels for the original Pullman cars a century ago. Their work connects these carriages to a lineage of British railway craftsmanship that stretches back to the Golden Age of Travel.
And at the heart of it all is a carriage called Balmoral — a name that echoes from the Royal Train to the great railway hotel that watches over Edinburgh Waverley. This is the story of that train, that carriage, those woods, and the track that carries you to the edge of Scotland.
THE NORTHERN BELLE: A BRIEF HISTORY
Launched in 2000 as a sister to Belmond's British Pullman, the train recalls the Belle trains of the 1930s with 13 restored Pullman-style carriages.
LUXURY TRAIN TRAVEL IN SCOTLAND IN THE 1930s
The original Northern Belle was a weekly land cruise operated by the London and North Eastern Railway — luxury rail travel for those who could afford it.
THE CARRIAGES: NAMES FROM BRITAIN'S GREAT HOUSES
Seven dining carriages each named after a British castle or stately home — Alnwick, Belvoir, Chatsworth, Glamis, Harlech, Warwick and Duart. The two Scottish carriages are Glamis and Balmoral, named to represent luxury train travel in Scotland and connect you to the heritage of Scotland as part of Great Britain.
THE BALMORAL CAR: FROM ROYAL TRAIN TO HERITAGE LINE
Carriage Balmoral is a Mark 3a Royal Train staff sleeper, built in 1984 as coach number 2914 for the Royal Train — named for the Royal residence of Balmoral Castle.
THE BALMORAL HOTEL: EDINBURGH'S RAILWAY LANDMARK
Opened in 1902 as the North British Station Hotel above Waverley Station, its famous clock tower is kept three minutes fast so passengers never miss their train.
THE CLOCK THAT KEEPS YOU ON TIME
The 190-foot clock tower was crafted by Edinburgh jewellers Hamilton and Inches. The only day it tells the true time is Hogmanay, when 80,000 people gather on Princes Street.
JK ROWLING'S ROOM
The Balmoral's Room 552 is where JK Rowling finished the final Harry Potter book — now renamed the JK Rowling Suite with a Hedwig door knocker.
THE MARQUETRY: A DUNN AND SON
A family firm of marquetry cutters since 1895, A Dunn and Son created the bespoke wood veneer panels for all seven Northern Belle dining carriages — and restored them in 2010.
CASTLES IN WOOD
Each carriage has its own theme and veneer choice, with a marquetry castle or stately manor home at either end of the carriage — Glamis Castle, Alnwick Castle, and more rendered in wood.
THE TREES BEHIND THE PANELS
The marquetry is inlaid with yew-tree burr, sycamore, walnut, maple and satinwood — each chosen for its grain, colour, and workability.
BURR CAMPHOR: THE SCENT OF LUXURY
The Duart carriage is decked out in marquetry and Burr Camphor veneer — a wood prized for its swirling grain and natural aromatic scent, from the camphor laurel tree.
YEW: BRITAIN'S ANCIENT TIMBER
Yew-tree burr veneer comes from one of Britain's most ancient trees — the same wood used for longbows at Agincourt, now gracing the walls of a luxury train.
SYCAMORE: THE QUIET BEAUTY
Sycamore is one of the marquetarian's most useful woods — pale, fine-grained, and perfect for inlay work that catches the light as the train moves.
WALNUT: THE CARVER'S CHOICE
Walnut burr veneer is prized for its rich dark tones and swirling figure — the same wood that lined the original 1920s Pullman cars.
THE ONBOARD EXPERIENCE
Seven-course fine dining, champagne, and silver service as the British countryside glides past — the Northern Belle is a five-star hotel on wheels.
THE TRACK: SETTLE TO CARLISLE
One of the Northern Belle's signature routes steams over the 72-mile Settle and Carlisle Line — England's most scenic railway, hewn through the Yorkshire Dales.
THE WEST HIGHLAND LINE
The train also journeys along the West Highland Line from Glasgow through Fort William — voted one of the world's greatest railway journeys, with lochs, glens and waterfalls.
THE LAST STOP: MALLAIG OR CORROUR
The West Highland Line terminates at Mallaig, a small fishing port on Scotland's west coast — the end of the line, where the train stops and the sea begins. The train also stops in the Highlands at Corrour. It's a beautiful plateau with no public roads. Truly pioneering and helping you understand the character of the people who came from Scotland. Check with the Northern Belle for the route of your train.
THE JACOBEAN CONNECTION
The Fort William to Mallaig stretch is also the route of the Jacobite Steam Train — the Harry Potter train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The Northern Belle is more than a train — it's a moving museum of British craftsmanship, where the yew and walnut of ancient forests meet the brass and velvet of a bygone era. From the Royal Train origins of the Balmoral carriage to the clock tower that still keeps Edinburgh on time, every detail is a thread in the fabric of railway heritage.
And when the train finally stops at Mallaig, where the track ends and the sea begins, you realise the journey was never about the destination — it was about the wood, the history, and the slow, beautiful passage through a country that still knows how to build things that last.
BEFORE YOU EMBARK, EXPLORE EDINBURGH'S TREES
Before or after your Northern Belle journey, explore Edinburgh's own botanical heritage with a self-guided audio walking tour through the gardens and trees of edinburgh, with information about the significance of each tree in celtic lore.
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