Scenic train journeys UK: Britain's best views from a window

The most scenic train journeys in the UK include the West Highland Line from Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig, the Settle to Carlisle Line across the Yorkshire Dales, the sea wall at Dawlish in Devon, the Cambrian Coast in Wales and the Far North Line to Thurso and Wick. All of them are ordinary National Rail routes, so you can ride them on a normal ticket (Railcards included) and check the trains on any live departure board before you go.

They're grouped by nation below, with a few tips at the end for getting the most from the window seat.

What is the most scenic train journey in the UK?

Ask rail fans and the West Highland Line usually comes up first. From Glasgow it runs up beside Loch Lomond, climbs over the bleak, beautiful emptiness of Rannoch Moor and drops into Fort William. Corrour station, out on the moor, has no public road to it at all, so the train is the only easy way in.

Carry on from Fort William to Mallaig and you cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the curved concrete viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films. In the warmer months the Jacobite steam train runs this stretch too, but the regular ScotRail trains give you the same view for a normal fare.

Scenic railways in Scotland

Scotland has more than its share. Beyond the West Highland Line:

• The Kyle Line runs west from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, close to the bridge to Skye. It's a long, quiet ride through glens and past lochs.
• The Far North Line goes from Inverness all the way to Thurso and Wick, through some of the emptiest country on the network.
• Trains between Edinburgh and Fife cross the Forth Bridge, the red cantilever bridge that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Winter daylight is short this far north, so for the views, travel around the middle of the day.

Scenic train journeys in England

The Settle to Carlisle Line is the big one. It climbs through the Yorkshire Dales and over the Ribblehead Viaduct, then on to Dent, the highest main line station in England. The line was saved from closure in 1989 after a long campaign, and it's been a favourite ever since.

The other classic is the sea wall in Devon. Between Exeter and Newton Abbot the main line runs right along the shore at Dawlish and Teignmouth, under red cliffs, close enough that waves splash the trains in rough weather. Heading west, sit on the left.

A few shorter ones worth knowing:

• The Esk Valley Line, from Middlesbrough to Whitby across the North York Moors.
• The Hope Valley Line, between Manchester and Sheffield through the Peak District, with a stop at Edale.
• The St Ives Bay Line in Cornwall, a short hop from St Erth along the bay to St Ives.
• The Tamar Valley Line, from Plymouth to Gunnislake, crossing the viaduct at Calstock.
• The East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle, which crosses the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick and runs along the cliffs towards Scotland.

Scenic railways in Wales

The Cambrian Coast Line runs from Machynlleth up the coast to Pwllheli and crosses the Mawddach estuary on Barmouth Bridge, a long timber viaduct. It's slow, and that's the point.

The Heart of Wales Line takes the long way from Shrewsbury to Swansea through the hills of mid Wales, over viaducts at Knucklas and Cynghordy. The Conwy Valley Line climbs from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, where you can change to the steam trains of the Ffestiniog Railway. There's more on lines like that in our guide to heritage railways in the UK.

Tips for riding a scenic line

• Go in daylight. Obvious, maybe, but easy to forget in winter on the long northern routes.
• Check for engineering works before you travel, especially at weekends and over holidays.
• Look at rover tickets. Some regions sell passes for unlimited travel over a few days, which can work out well for a scenic trip.
• Use a Railcard where it's valid. Our guide to which Railcard is best explains the options.
• Check the live departures on the morning. Rural lines have fewer trains, so missing one can mean a long wait. TrainTicker shows the next trains from any National Rail station on a small amber board at home, and the free live demo works in a browser for any station, including Mallaig, Settle or Pwllheli.

Scenic train trips as gifts

A ticket for one of these routes, with a plan for the day written in a card, makes a lovely present for a train lover. For something bigger, a night on the Caledonian Sleeper gets you to the Highlands by morning; our guide to sleeper trains in Britain explains how it works. And for more days out, see train experience gifts in the UK.