2003 Scottish Rover

		DAY ONE (Sunday 29th June):
		This shall involve a flight from London Gatwick to Inverness, the self-proclaimed "Gateway to the Highlands", where I shall be based for two nights. There should be plenty of time to explore Scotland's 'newest' city and check out the pub scene.
		DAY TWO (Monday 30th June):
		An early start will be needed this morning to embark on the 3½ hour journey to Wick and Thurso, in the far north of the country. Good weather shall be hoped for, as this part of the world is sure to be bleak and uncompromising in the wind or rain. From the coast around Thurso there should be views of Dunnet Head, the most Notherly point of mainland Britain. The Central Bar in Thurso will be a must visit - this reputably being, until recently, the only bar in Caithness selling real ale! A return trip back to Inverness shall be undertaken later in the day.
A class 37 loco hauls the Caledonian Sleeper service over the famous West Highland Line to Fort William.


		DAY THREE (Tuesday 1st July):
		This morning it will be farewell to Inverness for the time being, as the next five days or so shall consist of a huge anti-clockwise loop around the Highlands and central belt. The first leg of today's journey shall be the 2½ hour ride to the Kyle of Lochalsh. From here I shall cross the controversial new road bridge to the Isle of Skye and continue on an hour-long bus journey south to the port village of Armadale. This will be a critical link on the Grand Tour, as without it, it will be impossible to reach my resting place for the night, the fishing port and rail terminus of Mallaig. From Armadale Pier a connecting CalMac ferry service crosses the Sound of Sleat to Mallaig where I shall be staying at the West Highland Hotel.
The 19th Century Inverness Cathedral stands on the south bank of the River Ness.		DAY FOUR (Wednesday 2nd July):
		This morning it shall be back on the train for what promises to be the most spectacular journey yet, over the famed West Highland Line via Fort William and Rannoch to Crianlarich. Here it is hoped that I shall have time to take a connecting service to the port town of Oban, home of the famous McCaig's Folly, sitting upon Bunker Hill and dominating the town below. A break of a few hours is hoped for here before boarding another train for the long journey south to Glasgow Queen Street, from where a short walk shall bring me to my hotel for the night.
		DAY FIVE (Thursday 3rd July):
The MV Lord of the Isles ferries passengers between Armadale on the Isle of Skye and Mallaig on the Scottish Mainland.		Today shall see only a small amount of travelling, in order to recouperate from the lengthy journeys of the previous four days. A short hop east across the central belt to Edinburgh shall be all that's needed. The next two nights shall be spent in Scotland's magnificent capital.

		DAY SIX (Friday 4th July):
		A much needed rest day, though a short train journey to Falkirk & Linlithgow may be taken.
		DAY SEVEN (Saturday 5th July):
		It will be back on the metals this morning as I head out of Waverley station on the long haul north via Pitlochry, back to my original starting point, Inverness, to complete the circle of the Highlands. Here I shall change trains and head east again to the 'Granite City', Aberdeen. This evening shall be spent checking out the city's ale houses before retiring for the night at a hotel.
The West Highland Hotel, Mallaig occupies a commanding position overlooking the village and the Sound of Sleat.

		DAY EIGHT (Sunday 6th July):
		Today shall be spent exloring Aberdeen and may include a trip further afield if transport is available. A second night shall be spent in the 'Granite City'.

		DAY NINE (Monday 7th July):
		This morning I head off to Dyce for my homebound flight into Luton airport, from where a couple more train journeys will be needed to get me back to the South Coast.
Oban Harbour and McCaig's Folly.

The magnificent Forth Bridge spans the firth to the Kingdom of Fife.

		The map above details the planned routes to be taken throughout my trip and shows each of the locations mentioned in my itinerary.

TOUR DIARY
Sunday 29th June (base: Inverness)
An early start was needed this morning in order to get my 11.30 flight to Inverness, courtesy of my regular carrier, easyJet. On boarding the aircraft I was amazed to see that one of the flight attendants was the same girl who was aboard the flight I took to Edinburgh just over a week ago! When you consider the hundreds of cabin crew that the airline must employ, what were the chances of that?! The flight was a pleasant one, with plenty of good views along the way as we headed north via Birmingham and Manchester and over the Lake District, which provided good views of Thirlmere & Derwent Water, and a particularly excellent vista of Helvellyn, one of the most famous of the Lakeland Fells. Once past Glasgow we began our decent over Loch Lomond and the Highlands, with plenty of great views of the bens. On landing at Inverness, the weather was surprisingly dull - not what I'd expected after reading the forecast the previous day. A rather expensive taxi journey proved to be the only method of reaching the City Centre, where I checked in at the 'Kings Highway', a J D Wetherspoon pub with hotel attached - a nice, clean, spacious room, with great beer and food downstairs - a real ale drinker's dream! Why aren't there more of these places? After a late lunch it was time to set off to check out the City. A short walk across the River Ness brings you to the Cathedral, where I found myself to be the only visitor! An impressive church, built in the late 19th Century with a West Front reminiscent of Durham Cathedral, though reduced in size. Next stop was Inverness Castle, which is sadly uninspiring architecturally and doesn't look at all what you would expect a Scottish Highland castle to look like. The view from the river (at a distance) does it more justice. This evening was spent checking out the local pub scene. 'Blackfriars' turned out to be just what I was hoping. A great traditional Scottish howff with at least nine ales and a friendly atmosphere. The Cairngorm 60/- was in excellent condition! A visit to the Good Beer Guide listed 'Number 27' on Castle Street was disappointing as the ale had just run out on my arrival. Nevertheless, the bar staff were very welcoming and the place was more reminiscent of a US brewpub, rather than a pub in north east Scotland!

Monday 30th June (base: Inverness)
Another early start was needed this morning to catch the 07:21 service out of Inverness for the three and a half hour journey to the far north of the country, to the towns of Wick and Thurso. The scenery was impressive throughout the trip with plenty of rocky rivers, coastal areas and small lochs being skirted en route. The further north we headed, the more desolate the landscape became. The area around Wick and Thurso is rather uninspiring - flat moorland interspersed with coniferous forest sets the scene here. After a very brief stop in Wick, I reboarded the same train to double-back down the line and along the branch to Thurso, where I had four hours to kill. As one would expect, there's very little in the way of attractions in such a far-flung place as this. The scene north from the sandy beach provided a view of Dunnet Head, mainland UK's most northerly point, with the Orkneys in the distance, across the Pentland Firth. It made me think what life must be like for the locals up there. It's so far removed from the Britain I know, and so different even than the larger Scottish towns and cities. After a couple of hours milling around and exploring the place, it was time to check out the 'Central Bar', one of just a few hostelries in the town and the only one in the north of Scotland to sell decent beer! It was a typical Scottish local really - pretty much what I'd expected. Eventually it was time to head back to the station for the long haul back south to Inverness (it sounds funny to say "south to Inverness"!) The sun came out for part of the journey, which made the landscape seem even more impressive. The fields bordering the line are full of livestock (but not a single 'Heeland Coo' to be seen anywhere!) and passing through the Strath of Kildonen I spotted large groups of Red Deer grazing by the River Helmsdale. Eventually the train pulled into Inverness at about 20:15, from where it was back to the lodge for an evening meal before finalising plans for tomorrow.

Tuesday 1st July (base: Mallaig)
Well it's day three and this morning seems so long ago to me already! I've travelled so much and seen even more. I left Inverness on the 08:53 service to the Kyle of Lochalsh, travelling across one of the most famous railways in Europe. Now yesterday's scenery was very nice, but on this route it just got better...and better...and better! The line is an incredible feat of Victorian engineering and the route is stunning, winding its way through steep coniferous glens and past a series of idyllic lochs, all to the backdrop of dozens of towering bens. It's such a privilege to be able to sit on a train and enjoy this marvellous scenery, but at the same time I was dying to be able to stop off somewhere and enjoy it at my leisure. By the time we reached Kyle, the sun was shining and the views across Loch Carron were amazing. On arrival at Kyle I opted to walk the two and a half miles via the Skye bridge to Kyleakin instead of relying on public transport, as I had ninety minutes to spare. It was well worth it for the views. However, I reached my interim destination to be told that the bus connection I needed was uncertain, as the vehicle had broken down earlier in the day! This was bad news. I was 100% reliant on two connections on Skye to get me to the port of Armadale, from where my ferry back to the mainland would depart. I was much relieved to find that the bus arrived on time to take me to the village of Broadford. The short journey provided great views of the mountain ranges on Skye, with the superb jagged outline of the Cuillin Hills dominating the background. Once at Broadford I had to hang around for my connection to Armadale. I would have liked to have been able to explore a bit, but my rucksack weighed about as much as a small car, so I didn't have the strength! Whilst lazing around, I decided to re-check the bus time to Armadale and found that I'd made a potentially catastrophic error. I'd misread the timetable and it wasn't due for another seventy minutes later than I'd thought. It dawned on me that I may now be stuck on Skye for the night, with no accommodation available! To my great relief, the later bus connected with the last ferry, so I was able to get back to the mainland after all - a massive relief!! The ferry connection to Mallaig was excellent. The twenty minute journey across the Sound of Sleat on a lovely summer's afternoon provided the perfect end to an 'interesting' introduction to the Isle of Skye! Mallaig was far nicer that I'd expected. My hotel is wonderful and I've just sampled the best haddock and chips I've ever had! The place is a small fishing port and railway terminus and looks incredibly photogenic against its green hills in the diffuse evening sunlight. As I type this it's 10pm and the sun is shining across the water into my room. I';m waiting for the sunset, which I'm sure is going to be excellent as it sets behind the mountains of Skye and reflects in the water. Today has been, despite the potential hiccups, excellent.

Wednesday 2nd July (base: Glasgow)
Day Four and it was time to get up at 5:15am so that I could catch the first train out of Mallaig at 06:10 (and this is meant to be a holiday!) The weather was excellent and the views across the water to Rum, Eig and Skye were perfect in the early morning sun. The train pulled out on time and another chapter of the adventure began. Now the West Highland Line is well-documented as being the most scenic railway in Britain - "What, better than yesterday even?" Oh yes, absolutely magnificent. No written superlative can do it justice. The line is, at times hemmed in on all sides by towering bens, up to and over 4000ft high. It skirts beautiful lochs, crosses rocky burns and winds its way through a number of glens en route to Fort William. The superb curved viaduct at Glenfinnan is the line's crowning glory and must be the most photographed feature along its route. The train filled up on departure from Fort William. From here we climbed steadily up to the wilds of Corrour, miles from even the closest road, and to an elevation of around 1300ft above sea level. The extent of the gradients that the trains have to contend with is remarkable. No wonder many of the locomotive-hauled trains that cover the route have to be 'double-headed' to provide the necessary power. As we headed south past Rannoch Station, we began a gradual decent and I left the train at Crianlarich to get a connection to Oban. The station is in a very picturesque setting, surrounded by green mountains and smaller hills. Wagtails, swifts and a raven flew around the platform and RAF tornadoes came screaming through the glen at very low level. On a less fortunate note, it was here that I had my first and unexpected encounter with the notorious Scottish midge! So it was on with the insect repellant fairly quick, though a little too late! The line to Oban was far more impressive than I was expecting. The line clung to the sides of the glens, past a number of lochs and below some towering scree slopes (high enough to rival even the famed Wast Water Screes in the English Lake District.) Oban was pretty much how I'd imagined. A picture-postcard fishing port and ferry/rail terminus. The famous McCaig's Folly dominates the town from the summit of Bunker Hill. A break of around ninety minutes was had here before it was time to head down to Glasgow. My route retraced the journey from Crianlarich, then headed south through Loch Lomond & The Trossocks National Park. I wasn't expecting this - ;more incredible scenery. The train provided a grandstand view of the area as we looked down on the lochs from a couple of hundred feet up, as we journeyed along the sides of the glens. I've lost count of the number of photographs I've taken so far. I just hope they come out reasonably well, considering my camera is not always functioning as it should and photography through a train window is not the best recipe for good results! After three hours we pulled into Glasgow Queen Street and I took the short walk to the Travel Inn on George Street. Had a walk around town this evening and a meal/pint before resisting the temptation to hang around in George Square to watch the Royal Bank Jazz Festival that is currently underway. Instead I headed back to the hotel for a much needed rest. A rather long but memorable day.

Thursday 3rd July (base: Edinburgh)
Into Day Five and the pressure is off as far as having tight schedules to make. I had my first decent night's sleep last night, thanks to a very comfortable big bed at my hotel. I had plenty of choice as far as an itinerary was concerned today, so I made my way to Queen Street Station just before 9am and caught the 09:18 service to Stirling - a lovely city that I know already, having visited a couple of times before, famous for its castle situated high above on a rocky outcrop, and the impressive Wallace Monument overlooking the city from a hill about two miles to the east. As I was loaded up with all my baggage I only took a quick walk around town, primarily to buy an excellent Cornish pastie (yep, Cornish!) from the bakery I knew close to the station. From Stirling I headed north to Perth, the ancient capital of Scotland. I'd passed through before on a coach en route to Pitlochry, but I'd never actually seen the city centre before. The weight of my rucksack became an increasing problem here and restricted my ability to explore as I would have liked to have done. Instead I had a brief walk around the City Centre and dropped in at the 'Old Ship Inn' for much needed refreshment and rest. At 12:49 I departed Perth and travelled over the line through Fife via Kirkcaldy and across the superb Forth Bridge to my next port of call, Edinburgh. It was great to be back in the familiar territory of 'Auld Reekie', the city which has, in recent years, become my playground and a home-from-home. My first task was to visit the 'Bow Bar' for their beer festival, which is being held until Saturday (supply of ale permitting!) On speaking to the guv'nor it would appear that stocks are running out fast and the festival may end prematurely tomorrow! Dinner was had at the 'Standing Order', then it was off to a couple of favourite local haunts for more decent ale. The evening was spent quietly recouperating from the day's travels.

Friday 4th July (base: Edinburgh)
Day six meant no mandatory train journeys as I was based in Edinburgh for a second night. I decided that the best thing to do was to make the most of my Rail Rover ticket, so I caught the 09:15 service back west to Glasgow Queen Street. From here a short walk was required to Central Station and I headed south to Ayr. Unfortunately, today was the first day of the schools' summer recess, and it showed! The train was jammed packed with small children and their parents, seemingly taking them out of the city for a day trip to the seaside! Suffice to say, this was by far the most unpleasant journey of the week! Before arriving at Ayr, I decide to break my journey at Prestwick Airport. Those who know me will know of my passion for civil aviation, so this was a good opportunity to take a look and see if there was anything of interest on the apron. One spanish LTE Boeing 757 was all there was of note, so it was soon back on the train for the short hop into Ayr, where I spent an hour or so wandering around town and checking out a couple of local hostelries, notable Ayr's Wetherspoon house, the 'West Kirk', a converted church and a brilliant yet sympathetic conversion of a landmark building. On leaving Ayr, it was back to Glasgow to catch another service out of Queen Street to Falkirk, another new destination. My sole reason for Falkirk was to visit the 'Behind The Wall' pub - an American-style bar/restaurant, which brews its own ale. The place had a vibrant atmosphere and was well worth the visit. Falkirk actually proved to be quite a pleasant town, which was unexpected. From here it was back on the train for the short journey to Linlithgow - home of the famous Royal palace where Mary, Queen of Scots was born. Although a ruin, the building was magnificent and for the very reasonable £3 admission charge, there was an awful lot to explore. Its location between the adjacent parish church and a small loch helps add to it';s almost fairytale quality. Before catching the return train to Edinburgh, I stopped by at the Good Beer Guide listed 'Four Marys' pub in the centre of town. A wonderful place, far more reminiscent of an English country inn, rather than a bar in southern Scotland. The nine real ales on offer proved to be a real rarity in this neck-of-the-woods. A quick rush back to Edinburgh was had to spend the evening at my friend Liane's flat, where I stayed 'til late and enjoyed some excellent wine during a fun four hours or so. Another tiring day, but certainly worth it.

Saturday 5th July (base: Aberdeen)
Saturday morning and it was time to depart Edinburgh and travel off to my next destination. By this time I'm beginning to feel like Michael Palin on one of his excursions around the globe - a somewhat nomadic existence! On leaving Waverley station, it was a long haul back north to my original starting place of Inverness. The good news today was that, due to the Forth Bridge being closed for engineering works, I didn't have to make a connection in Stirling. Instead, my train was a through service all the way to Inverness via Pitlochry (my final part of the jigsaw to complete my loop of the Highlands). The line north of Perth was uncharted territory for me, although I had travelled by road as far as Pitlochry in the past. The scenery around this part of the country (pretty much the geographical centre of Scotland) is very attractive as the hills become mountains and the line follows the rocky riverbeds of the Garry and Spey, and by a small number of minor lochs. North of Aviemore the landscape begins to become less impressive, though still attractive in its own right as the journey nears its destination of Inverness. Back at my original starting place, I spent the short time available having a pub meal and a couple of beers in the 'Blackfriars' before returning to the station for the journey south east to my final destination, Aberdeen. As I type this I'm speeding through the Aberdeenshire countryside en route to the 'Granite City'. The latter part of this afternoon and this evening was spent checking out the city's pub scene, with the intention to leave any sightseeing until tomorrow. Armed with a scribbled list of Good Beer Guide houses, I set off for the'Globe Inn' on North Silver Street...a wonderful, homely little place with a choice of ale and a friendly atmosphere. Directly next door is 'Under The Hammer', a basement bar with an unusual name which is obviously due to its location below an auction house! Although quiet at the time of my visit, it had a pleasant laid-back atmosphere, great beer and a large selection of malts - another great find. Third stop was 'Ma Cameron's' on Little Belmont Street, which appears to be at the centre of the city's pub circuit. The small frontage belies the fact that once inside it opens up into a multi-roomed, multi-corridored bar with bare boards and exposed stone walls. Two or three serveries provide distinctive drinking areas entirely seperate from one another and the pub has a very cosmopolitan feel to it. A superb place, with a pefect pint of Orkney Dark Island to cap it all. Last stop was the 'Prince Of Wales' on St Nicholas Lane - a traditional Scottish pub with a good mix of clientele and at least half a dozen real ales available, including a house beer, brewed especially for the pub by the Inveralmond Brewery in Perthshire. From here it was back to the hotel for something to eat before heading for bed. At first sight, Aberdeen has certainly impressed me and I would rate it as second only to Edinburgh as far as its visual appeal is concerned. The grey sparkling granite which is the dominant building material adds to the attractiveness of many of the city's buildings.

Sunday 6th July (base: Aberdeen)
My final full day here and the only morning I've woken up to rain - that's not at all bad for Scotland eh? I didn't leave the hotel 'til about 10am then took a walk around the city centre with the intention of taking a few photographs. Unfortunately the drizzle became quite heavy so I opted to head for the station earlier than planned, from where I caught the 11.30 train down to Dundee. The 75 minute trip along the coast meant that I'd now travelled over all the principle railway lines north of Glasgow and Edinburgh...my goal achieved! Luckily the weather improved throughout the journey and blue skies were once more in evidence as the train pulled into the Dundee. Now I'm not really much of a fan of Dundee, so to speak. The city centre has a number of attractive buildings, but sadly, like Glasgow, you only have to walk a short distance before bland 20th century architecture dominates. However, it's not all bad and there are plenty of shops if that's what you're after. Lunch was had at the local 'Wetherspoon' house, which took a little time to arrive, so I had to leave pretty sharpish to get my return train to Aberdeen. As I walked back to the station I passed another city centre bar where some stormin' live blues was being performed. I carried on walking for a few more yards, then decided that this sounded too good to miss, so I doubled back to check out the band and let the train leave without me! Despite the absence of any decent beer the music more than made up for the shortfall and I stayed until the band finished their set. This weekend is apparently hosting the annual Dundee Blues Festival (300 performances in 70 venues over just two days - fantastic!) At 3pm I was again heading for the station and heard yet more great-sounding Delta blues being played in another venue. This time I had to resist the temptation as I'd have been stuck in town for a few hours more if I'd missed another train! I got back to Aberdeen to find the rain had thankfully long gone, so took the opportunity to take a few photos about town before heading back to the hotel for a rest and something to eat. I headed back out at around 7.30pm to finish off what I started last night - a sweep of the city's best ale houses. First stop was 'The Moorings', situated directly opposite Victoria Dock (which is full of curious looking ships, presumably used in an oil rig support role). The bar advertises itself as Aberdeen's Premier Rock Venue and looked a pretty good place, however all the beer engines on the bar were unlabelled, and I was told there was no real ale due to a cellar refurbishment being underway - shame! So it was off up the hill to Castlegate to try out the 'Old Blackfriars'. This was more like it. An atmospheric old pub, popular with both tourists and locals and selling some excellent beer. Directly opposite was Aberdeen's sole Wetherspoon house, the 'Archibold Simpson'. A typically grand JDW pub, reminiscent of their Hamilton Hall outlet in the City of London (though smaller). I bought a sandwich here, washed down with a cracking pint of Deuchars. Lastly was a visit to the 'Old Town School', now seemingly renamed the 'Hogshead'. Housed in a very ornate Georgian granite-clad building (of course - this is Aberden after all!) the pub is very imposing, with a large portico forming the entrance. Thankfully a lot quieter than when I passed by last night, the beer on offer was on top form and I was able to relax on a rather nice leather sofa! Knowing I must be up very early in the morning, I called it a day and headed back to base. Thus ends my adventures in this wonderful country. One thing's for sure - I'll definitely be returning to the West Highlands again, and there's a strong possibility of an Aberdeen pub crawl being arranged before the end of the year!

Monday 7th July (return home)
I awoke this morning to the sound of my alarm at 5am! An early start was needed to catch the first bus out of Aberdeen city centre to the airport at Dyce. I arrived at around about 6.30 and was pleased to be able to check-in well before the usual two hour maximum. I'd plenty of time to kill and was really pleased to find that directly outside the terminal building was a grass embankment, from the top of which you could get a grandstand view of the apron, hangers and heliport. I appeared to have arrived at a busy time, as there was a constant stream of helicopters departing with teams of riggers on board, all dressed up in fluorescent suits, lifejackets and even ear defenders, being airlifted out to their platforms (Aberdeen is the centre of the North Sea oil and gas field support industries). After an hour or so standing around in the sun watching the arrivals and departures it was time to head airside, ready for my 08:50 flight down to Luton. The down side to Dyce is that the views from the terminal building are not that great. This was particularly disappointing due to the fact that my inbound aircraft was delayed on the sector up from Luton, so I had longer to hang around than expected. Even more annoying was the fact that there was no pre-board PA announcement and I therefore was unaware the flight had been called. This meant that despite being the first person to check-in this morning, I was now at the back of the queue, with no hope of getting a window seat anywhere on the aircraft, let alone at the front of the cabin, where I prefer to be. Suffice to say it wasn't the most enjoyable flight that I've been on recently, but at least the aircraft was one of easyJet's fleet that I'd not previously flown on (I always enjoy adding another aircraft to my ever-growing tally!) On arrival at Luton it was a brief wait to reclaim my baggage, then grabbed a BK to take away before catching the bus to the railway station. From here I caught a Thameslink service to Croydon, then boarded a connection to bring me down the Arun Valley to Chichester. As I type this I am departing from Billingshurst en route to Chichester, where I shall need to get a final train to my destination, Havant. I eventually arrived home at around 3.30pm. A superb trip, which I'm sure to repeat in part at some point.

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