The West Highlands Line travels from Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig.

One of the highlights of this route is the breathtaking curve of the 100 feet high Glenfinnan Viaduct. The viaduct itself is a monument, as it’s the first concrete viaduct ever built in Britain and has since become renowned for appearing in several of the blockbuster ‘Harry Potter’ films.

Once you arrive in Mallaig you will enjoy the harbor of this bustling fishing port.  An important ferry terminal for the romantic Isle of Skye, you can also take in the views over to Skye, across Loch Nevis to Knoydart, and to Rum and Eigg, which are other neighboring islands also accessible by ferry from Mallaig.

Visit Fort William and those active travelers can climb Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. You’ll get spectacular views of the Cairngorms, the peaks of Wester Ross and out over the sea to the Western Isles. And for those looking to socialize check out Ben Nevis distillery.

The North Highlands Line travels from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick/Thurso.

Inverness, meaning ‘mouth of the River Ness’, is a city in Northern Scotland which acts as the capital of the Highlands.  Two popular attractions include the historic Culloden Battlefield and the mystic monster of Loch Ness. The Northern Highlands line starts here, pulling out of Inverness over the fast flowing River Ness.

Kyle of Lochalsh is a great stop with a beautiful harbor offering pleasure cruises, wildlife cruises and fishing trips. Until a decade ago Kyle, was the main ferry port for Skye before the Skye road bridge was built. Frequent buses from Kyle cross over the bridge to Skye where you can take the ferry from Uig to the Western Isles.  Make sure to take a trip to see nearby Eilean Donan Castle – one of the most photogenic castles around!

At Georgemas Junction the line divides: North for Thurso and its port Scrabster, which serves Orkney, and east for the county town and former herring port of Wick.

The key to riding the Highland Lines is a BritRail Pass or BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass.

From Edinburgh to Glasgow to Aberdeen

Explore Scotland to its fullest, without missing a beat of passionate culture and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.  With the BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass, travel over a period of 4 days within 8 days, or 8 days within 15 flexible rail days. Enjoy the freedom of planning your Scotland itinerary far and wide and be sure to include these must-see destinations:

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and one of Britain’s most beautiful cities, featuring a stunning backdrop with rocky hills overlooking the sea. The city is home to 4,500 historic and architectural listed buildings which is the highest concentration in the world. Edinburgh is also a modern, dynamic city of art and culture with its museums, galleries, universities and festivals.  Be sure to visit Edinburgh’s Old Town, the elegant Georgian New Town, the Royal Mile which joins Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House and more.

Glasgow is situated just 42 miles from Edinburgh and has been named Scotland’s style capital, with art deco brasseries, stylish shops, cultural centers, more than 30 art galleries and museums and an annual program of performing arts and festivals.  Stroll along the River Clyde and take in your share of architecture and design.  Shopping, fine dining and nightlife aside, don’t miss Glasgow’s School of Art, The Burrell Collection and Glasgow Cathedral.

Inverness is the main city of the Highlands, with the nearby River Ness, home to the legendary Loch Ness monster and Moray Firth, known for bottlenose dolphin sightings.  Don’t miss the annual Highland Games in June and re-live one of Scotland’s most famous battles at Culloden battlefield.

Aberdeen is Scotland’s third largest city, home to the famous Granite Mile with over 800 shops, restaurants and bars. Where else can you follow a castle trail, whisky trail and coastal golf trail all in the same city?

Perth features Scone Palace where 42 of Scotland’s Kings were crowned, and inside a gallery of historical treasures including Marie Antoinette’s writing table can be found.  Plus, Perth is a consistent Beautiful Britain award winner, showing its colours from Easter to autumn, and now boasts a new state of the art Concert Hall.

Stirling has a gorgeous old town with winding cobblestone streets and stunning Stirling Castle.  Visitors can also see the National Wallace Monument, with panoramic views of surrounding battlefields and a feeling of great history.

To learn more about the BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass please visit: https://booking.britrail.com/BritRail_Scottish_Freedom_Pass

Wildlife Photography at The Natural History Museum

See the best from thousands of images submitted from amateur and professional wildlife photographers from 94 countries.  Now in its 46th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition has a stunning collection viewable until April 11^th, 2010.

Pop Life: Art in a Material World at London’s Tate Modern

Enjoy how generations of artists since the 1980s have promoted their work by cultivating strong media personas and creating their own brand, including work by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol until January 17^th, 2010

Beatles to Bowie: The 60s Exposed at the National Portrait Gallery

Find more than 150 rare portraits of legendary bands and iconic figures from the 60s, including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and more.  Plus mementoes of the 1960s, including record sleeves, illustrated sheet music and pop magazines on display until January 24^th, 2010.

Turner and the Masters at Tate Britain

With around 100 paintings, the exhibition explores Turner’s influences and inspiration as one of the greatest landscape painters, alongside major pieces by the likes of Canaletto, Claude, Rembrandt and Rubens until January 31^st, 2010.

If your focus falls on South East England, allow the BritRail London Plus Pass to take you on day trips to great destinations just outside the hustle and bustle of downtown London.  https://booking.britrail.com/BritRail_London_Plus_Pass

With no comparable product for sale in the UK, a BritRail Pass truly is one-of-a-kind!  A BritRail Pass allows travelers to hop on and off any train, on any railway, at any time throughout England, Scotland and Wales.  This unparalleled flexibility provides visitors with the freedom to change their itinerary to stay longer in their favorite cities or cut a visit short when they’re ready to move on.

And BritRail has a selection of passes depending on your budget and the type of trip you foresee; a Flexible Pass for travelers who plan on staying a few days in each stop and a Consecutive Pass for those who wish to fit it all in while travelling on consecutive days.  Not to mention the selection of validities to choose from, catering to short trips and extended ones alike.  BritRail Flexi Passes are available from 3 to 15 rail travel days in 2 months and BritRail Consecutive Passes are available from 3 days to 1 month of rail travel.

Don’t forget there are a variety of discounts to choose from including the: Guest Pass, Party Pass, Family Pass, Low Season, Eurail Pass-Holder, Youth and Senior discounts. http://www.britrail.com/know-your-discounts

Please also note that the BritRail Flexi Pass and BritRail Consecutive Pass are the most popular passes but if your eye falls on a specific region, such as England, London, Scotland, Central Scotland or Britain + Ireland, there is a pass for you! http://www.britrail.com/passes

Buy any BritRail Pass & any validity London Sightseeing Pass* in the month of August and September and automatically be entered to have the chance to win 200 £ in spending money courtesy of London Pass.

No trip to London is complete without the London Sightseeing Pass! This all-inclusive “smartcard” provides free entrance to over 55 of the city’s most popular attractions including the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, museums, famous art galleries and much more.  Skip the queues and enjoy great savings with the London Sightseeing Pass!

*Purchases made on www.BritRail.com which include a BritRail Pass and a London Sightseeing Pass will be entered into a random draw to win 200 GBP.  Valid for travelers departing for the UK after October 15, 2009.

Buy any BritRail Pass & any validity London Pass* in the month of August and September and automatically be entered to have the chance to win 200 GBP in spending money courtesy of London Pass.

No trip to London is complete without the London Sightseeing Pass! This all-inclusive “smartcard” provides free entrance to over 55 of the city’s most popular attractions including the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, museums, famous art galleries and much more.  Skip the queues and enjoy great savings with the London Sightseeing Pass!

*Purchases made on www.BritRail.com which include a BritRail Pass and a London Pass will be entered into a random draw to win 200 GBP.  Valid for travelers departing for the UK after October 15, 2009.

Visit Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow

The BritRail Central Scotland Pass spans exciting cities including Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow.  To inspire your trip across Scotland’s central belt, here’s a sneak peak of what these vibrant cities have to offer…

Edinburgh is one of Britain’s most beautiful cities, featuring a stunning backdrop with rocky hills overlooking the sea. The city is home to 4,500 historic and architectural listed buildings which is the highest concentration in the world. Edinburgh is also a modern, dynamic city of art and culture with its museums, galleries, universities and festivals.

Glasgow is known as Scotland’s style capital and boasts top restaurants and a lively bar and music scene.  Mix this wild night scene with casual riverfront walkways along the River Clyde for a perfect combination of energy and relaxation.

Stirling has a gorgeous old town with winding cobblestone streets and stunning Stirling Castle.  Visitors can also see the National Wallace Monument, with panoramic views of surrounding battlefields and a feeling of great history.

Explore Scotland’s greatest cities plus have unlimited travel on the Glasgow Underground with the BritRail Central Scotland Pass.  Don’t forget you can hop on and off the trains at your leisure!

Other BritRail Passes that allow train travel in Scotland include the BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail + Ireland Pass and the BritRail Scottish Freedom Pass.

If your focus falls on the heart of Britain, home to nine distinct regions including London, this pass will provide endless options.  This is also the economical choice if you are planning on staying in England, as it excludes Scotland and Wales.

For those who want to be on the move so that you don’t miss out on any major attractions in England, from Big Ben to Salisbury Castle to the Beatles Story to York Minster, the BritRail England Consecutive Pass is the perfect companion to your train-setting ways.  The BritRail England Consecutive Pass is valid for travel on a set number of consecutive days. Passes are available for 4, 8, 15, 22 days or 1 month.

And for a traveler who likes to smell the roses and explore cities such as Liverpool, York, Chester, Oxford, Bath and Brighton at their leisure, the BritRail England FlexiPass is perfect for a flexible itinerary too.  The BritRail England FlexiPass permits the holder to choose the travel days within the period of validity. Passes are available for 4, 8, 15 days travel in 2 months.

PLUS:

• Get access to the Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airport Express trains – the quickest way from London’s airports to central London.
• Explore by hopping on and off the trains as you wish.
• Choose from the following discounts: BritRail Party Discount, BritRail Family Discount, BritRail Off-Peak Discount, BritRail Youth Discount, BritRail Senior Discount, BritRail Guest Pass Discount and the Eurail Pass Holder Rate. For details please visit http://www.britrail.com/know-your-discounts

The extremely flexible Oyster card provides access to London’s most popular public transit services. Ride the Tube, Docklands Light Railway, bus and tram, and participating National Rail services with this amazing card.

The benefits:

Convenience -Pay in advance so no more lines.

Price – Once you reach the price of a day travel card, no more credit will be deducted from your Oyster card for the rest of the day no matter how many journeys you make.

Reusable – Top it off with more credit when needed, plus the money you put on your Oyster card doesn’t expire so you can keep it until your next visit or pass it on to a friend.

BritRail is making your shopping experience easy – buy an Oyster Card along with your BritRail Pass.  When purchasing this pay as you go card, you will receive a £15 Oyster Card (card credit plus £2 cost for the card).  » Buy an Oyster Card

Ideal for London-based travelers looking for the best of city, coastal and countryside touring!

BritRail’s London Plus is ideal for London-based travelers who want to take day trips into the countryside, but return to their London hotel in the evening.

Center your travel around London and fan out to visit your choice of vibrant cities, while getting the best of both coastal and countryside life in the following city selection: Oxford, Windsor, Cambridge, Canterbury, Brighton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Bath, Bristol, Stratford-Upon-Avon and more.

This pass is perfect for day trips in the South East of England and provides for 2 or 4 days of unlimited rail travel within 8 days, or 7 days within 15.

The Pass also includes 2 extra coupons valid on the Heathrow Express, Stansted Express or Gatwick Express, making airport transfers to central London hassle free.