Enjoying the Spirit of Scotland Part 2

Sunday 25th August 2024

After the delayed but enjoyable journey up to Aberdeen (see Part 1 of this two part blog from yesterday) and bought my Travel Pass from Aberdeen station’s ticket office, day one of my Spirit of Scotland adventure began on the 10:08 ScotRail train from Aberdeen to Inverness.

It was a nice surprise to have one of ScotRail’s HSTs for the journey to Inverness which carried a decent number of passengers all the way to Inverness including four to Inverness Airport. I hope they were prepared for the walk from the station to the terminal building, although I hear an autonomous pod and vehicle (like the “road sweeper” I tried in Milton Keynes last year) is about to be trialled, which will be an added attraction.

Buoyant numbers travelling on the line reflect the temporary reduced timetable which has seen short journeys to Inverurie withdrawn. We were particularly busy from the main towns of Keith, Elgin and Nairn.

We’d been due to cross the 10:56 Inverness to Aberdeen train at Elgin at 11:38/11:40 but that was running 10 minutes late so we had to wait for it to clear the single track section. Otherwise it was a good journey.

It’s a lovely ride across Aberdeenshire and Moray with a call at the new stations at Kintore and Inverness Airport as well as the rebuilt station at Forres – all three to the uninspiring modern modular format.

After a pleasant break in Inverness it was on to Wick on the 14:00 departure.

As explained in yesterday’s]blog, the Far North Line has been reduced from four journeys a day to three with the 10:41 from Inverness to Wick withdrawn resulting in a seven hour gap between the 07:00 and 14:00 journeys, so not surprisingly it was a busy journey with lots of passengers.

In view of that I was a bit surprised it was only a two coach Class 158. Although it was sufficient for everyone travelling, on such a long journey – four and a half hours – it would have been nice to have spread out a bit.

It’s a lovely ride with gorgeous coastal views as well as of Cromarty Firth…

… and much further north more rugged scenery.

The passenger activated request stop buttons came into their own as we sped through Invershin with no business to be had there and Altnabreac remains closed. Despite this we lost seven minutes on the journey, arriving into Wick at 18:29 instead of 18:22.

The next morning, my original plan was to catch the second departure of the day from Wick at 08:02 and change at Dingwall on to the second daily departure from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. The temporary timetable has decimated the Kyle service from four return journeys a day to just two which depart Inverness at 10:56 and 17:54, returning from Kyle of Lochalsh at 06:11 and 13:46. It’s not a very attractive proposition for tourists who like a day return ride on the line – their only option is to take the 10:56 departure and return 11 minutes after arriving in Kyle on the 13:46.

From Wick back down south, I decided to switch modes and catch Stagecoach’s X99 route which also runs from Thurso and Wick to Inverness, and whereas the train diverts inland to serve KInbrace and Forsinard and further south to serve Lairg, from Wick to Inverness the X99 does the journey in just under three hours – which is two thirds of the four and half hours the train takes.

Because the bus hugs the coastline for much of the route it offers some fine early morning views as it runs along the A9.

I caught the 06:58 from Wick (which had started in Thurso at 06:20). It was a very busy journey and by the time we reached Golspie, at 08:34 we were completely full up.

Most passengers were travelling through to Inverness but there was also a smattering of short journey hops, and as luck would have it, no one was left behind with the few alighting being matched by the same number boarding. We arrived into Inverness bus station a few minutes late at 09:59 instead of 09:56 mainly because we paused for ten minutes instead of the scheudled two in Dornoch – I’m not sure why. We’d also waited time for five minutes in Lybster and a few minutes in Dunbeath.

I reckon you could squeeze out ten minutes from the running time and with just three journeys a day it does seem to me this popular tourist route is under served. The views of the coastline as well as the inland countryside are quite stunning and to me it has huge potential in the summer months to attract many more passengers – you only have to stand in Inverness bus station for a short time to see just how many tourists are in the area, hungry for places to visit.

Double deck coaches with usb, WiFi, comfortable seats, a toilet and luggage storage space – a bit like the Oxford Tube, would be a great attraction on the route – and why not a joint ticket with ScotRail so passengers could use the train in one direction (which also offers stunning views) and the bus in the other. The fares are about the same – Stagecoach charge £28 for a single and £29 return between Inverness and Wick with the rail fare being £27 single and £35.90 day return.

Passengers needn’t do the full route as there are plenty of common stops to both modes.

Having arrived into Inverness for 10:00 I had a nice break with a late breakfast (don’t tell LNER – see yesterday’s blog) before catching the 10:56 train to Kyle of Lochalsh.

It was another two coach Class 158, and a good number on board although I reckon a lot more passengers have shunned the service due to the restricted timetable.

It’s a fantastic two hour and 39 minutes ride with some stunning Highland scenery yo savour as the train heads ever westwards. After leaving the Far North Line at Dingwall the train stops at five stations with a further six request stops, although, not surprisingly with the restricted timetable, no-one wanted to alight or board at any of these.

We arrived into Kyle on time at 13:35 and a few passengers got off the train to have a quick stretch of their legs before jumping back on to return at 13:46. The train conductor had been emphasising to everyone on the outward journey they’d only have that brief amount of time in Kyle of Lochalsh as this would be the last train back, so I was surprised to see the dot matrix sign on the platform at Kyle showing a later afternoon departure at 17:13 – as per the normal timetable. I asked the conductor on the 13:46 departing train whether she knew about it but she said it was probably an error and the signs hadn’t been updated.

Having posted a photograph of it on social media, those in the know, and having checked ‘real times trains’, confirmed the train was indeed running and reflected the fact a driver had become available.

This is a ridiculous way to run a railway. It’s hopeless for passengers on such a sparsely served route to reduce the timetable due to a shortage of drivers only to casually reinstate a journey with no proper notice other than an appearance on the station departure board – how are passengers supposed to plan their day? No information was available at Inverness about it. I can’t imagine many passengers actually travelled on that journey having risked waiting for it; I wouldn’t have taken the risk.

As explained in yesterday’s Part 1 blog, I’d planned to continue onwards from Kyle of Lochalsh to Fort William on the CityLink coach that operates Britain’s longest “bus” route from Uig on Skye via Kyle of Lochalsh and Fort William to Glasgow. Although my Spirit of Scotland Travel Pass was valid for this journey I’d taken the precaution of booking a ticket in advance of travel to ensure a guaranteed place on the coach being unable to visit a CityLink ticket office to reserve a seat in advance, as otherwise required.

In the event, when the coach arrived in Kyle of Lochalsh slightly late at 16:45 there were plenty of seats available so I could have saved myself the £31.10 I’d paid for the ticket.

It’s a lovely scenic ride along the A87 to Invergarry taking in Loch Duich, Loch Cluanie, Loch Lyone and Loch Garry then on to the A82 past Loch Lochy and Spean Bridge to Fort William.

On arriving into Fort William there’s a 28 minute break before the coach continues on to Glasgow. All passengers are asked to leave the coach and a fresh driver takes over after the break.

I wasn’t getting back on the coach as I has an overnight stay in Fort William and began my third Spirit of Scotland day the next morning to enjoy a ride on my favourite of all Britain’s railway lines – the West Highland line.

I caught the 08:15 departure from Fort William over to Mallaig – which is my favourite part of the line especially the way the track weaves its way on the south side of Loch Eilt (pictured below) between Glenfinnan and Lochailort. I never cease to be amazed at the logistics involved in the line’s construction as the train takes you along such a scenic yet logistically inaccessible route.

The four coach Class 156 was relatively sparsely loaded on the outward journey – too early for the Harry Potter fans – but I noticed many seats had reservation cards already in situ for the return journey to Glasgow which I also planned to take as far as Crianlarich.

But before that there was time for a half hour refreshment break in Mallaig during the train’s stand time.

The return journey was indeed busy especially once we arrived in Fort William with a deluge of passengers joining for the wonderful scenic delights that lay ahead.

My favourite bits are always passing high up alongside Loch Treig (pictured above), passing through the remote Corrour station; across Rannoch Moor (with another marvel at the construction challenges) and then the horseshoe curve between Bridge of Otchy and Tyndrum Upper.

It’s always fun at Crianlarich to watch the Oban and Fort William trains be coupled together. We arrived first and our Conductor then plays the role of guiding the portion from Oban in as it inches its way forward and then joins.

I’ve not seen this procedure followed anywhere else where trains join together – Southern staff never did it at Haywards Heath when the London bound trains from the East and West Coastway lines joined. I’m sure someone will enlighten me in the Comments why it’s still a thing on the West Highland line.

I then realised the Oban (and Mallaig) northbound train was running over 10 minutes late so it would be safe to continue south to the next station south at Ardlui and catch it there.

Even then there was quite a pause until it arrived and I headed off on the very busy Oban section for an enjoyable ride along this section of the line through Glen Lochy Forest and the impressive Loch Awe which gives its name to a station.

We called at the summer only Falls of Cruachan but no one alighted or boarded but a good number joined at Dalmally, Taynuilt and Connel making for quite a crowd alighting when we arrived in Oban only slightly late at 15:37 (due 15:34).

The train wasn’t heading back to Glasgow until 18:05 although it would do a short return journey to Dalmally (for school children) at 16:11 but you have to be in the know about that as although it’s in the normal timetable it’s been omitted from the temporary timetable.

I decided to change my plans and, rather than wait for the 18:05, do another modal switch and catch the CityLink coach departing at 16:10 for Glasgow as I realised in all the years of travelling in the West Highlands I’d never done this section of route (as far as Crianlarich) by road.

The route isn’t covered by the Spirit of Scotland Travel Pass so I shelled out £25.50 for a single and for that got a vanilla branded, but very comfortable (more so than a Class 156 train), coach from Parks of Hamilton to travel to Glasgow for a journey taking three hours and seven minutes – quicker than the train by 13 minutes.

Three of the six coach journeys a day between Oban and Glasgow are routed via Inveraray but mine (numbered 977) went via Tyndrum and Crianlarich as the train does. It’s another lovely scenic journey along the A85 to Crianlarich and for part of the way runs parallel with the railway line.

There’s a short connecting stop with the Fort William to Edinburgh service in Tyndrum and it was interesting to see half a dozen passengers make the switch (both ways between coaches).

After Crianlarich it’s down the A82 to Glasgow with its gorgeous views of Loch Lomond for almost 25 miles which, dare I say, are even better than from the train due to being more up close. In the coach and bigger windows.

The journey I caught is routed via Glasgow Airport (that’s why it’s a 977) which only adds a small time penalty but for not much benefit – one passenger alighted and one boarded but the latter had many alternatives.

We arrived into Buchanan Street bus and coach station on time at 19:17.

Time for an evening meal before rolling up to Glasgow Central for my last piece of indulgence of this Scottish adventure – a journey overnight to Euston in a Caledonian Sleeper Club Room (en-suite cabin) enabling me to get back for a commitment I had in Sussex on Friday.

I never sleep very well on a sleeper train but did doze off for a few of the seven hours and 35 minutes the journey takes – leaving Glasgow at 23:40 and arriving into Euston at 07:15.

Despite booking an expensive Club Room, I also didn’t bother with the en-suite shower…

… I can’t be done with a combined shower and toilet cubicle, but for a man of my age it’s very beneficial to have an en-suite toilet for those night time visits.

We boarded soon after 22:00 with a very efficient registration system where your hotel style room key is handed out.

When I first travelled on the new Mark 5 sleeper coaches when introduced in 2019 the Club Room was laid out with the upper bunk bed stowed away (as shown below)….

… but now it’s in situ even if you’re travelling alone, and annoyingly, the ladder with a “Please do not remove” instruction is in place which makes it very awkward to get in and out of the lower bunk. Suffice to say I ignored the instruction and unclipped it (putting it back when arriving in Euston, of course). For a £201.30 fare (including Senior Railcard discount), these sorts of things should be sorted – attention to detail and all that.

I got up as we were passing through Berkhamsted and took advantage of the free breakfast and coffee for Club Room users from the buffet coach – it’s probably got a posh alternative name…

… and we pulled into Euston’s platform 1 half an hour early at 06:45.

Caledonian Sleeper now has its own lounge on platform 1 offering refreshments and showers…

… but I decided to head over to St Pancras and catch the next train back to Hassocks and reflect on my hugely enjoyable Spirit of Scotland adventure of six train and three coach journeys – and yes, I know I only used three days and spent more than I needed on coach fares but there’s something about the freedom of a ‘Rover’ style ticket which I always enjoy.

Roger French

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