Queen of Scots (train)

The name Queen of Scots was originally given to an LNER/BR Pullman train which ran from London King's Cross to Glasgow Queen Street via Leeds Central, Harrogate, Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.

Later the Queen of Scots was a luxury touring train that ran exclusive tours around Scotland's scenic countryside. The train was mostly aimed at American tourists. The train ran from 1985 to 1989 as the Royal Scotsman and in 1990 as The Queen of Scots.

History

Purchased by Richard Edmondson of Hunter Plastics as three individual vehicles, the observation car was acquired from Sir William McAlpine, the Dining Saloon was in use as part of a house on the south coast of England and the Family Saloon was purchased from British Rail in 1972. Additionally, three former Mark 1 sleeping cars and two Mark 1 day cars converted for sleeping use were added, making a nine coach train. Fully restored by 1985, it was leased to the L&R Leisure Group to operate as The Royal Scotsman, a role it continued to fulfil until 1989 when L&R made an enquiry regarding outright purchase of the train.

The train's owner, Richard Edmondson, had refused to sell: this left L&R with little choice but to purchase a replacement train, a task which was accomplished over the winter of 1989/90. With the replacement Royal Scotsman now formed by mostly steel bodied vehicles, the original wooden-bodied vintage cars were relaunched as The Queen of Scots, with both trains departing Edinburgh on tours of the Scottish Highlands during the summer of 1990. That same year, the Gulf War broke out and large numbers of American tourists ceased travelling to the UK which left bookings for both trains short of expectations.