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This page details the Webmaster's 2nd Rail Tour of Scotland, which took place during June 2005. The tour differed from 2003's Grand Tour of Scotland in as much that it didn't consist of a circular route. The main difference however, was the use of the Caledonian Sleeper service from London to Fort William and return, making this the longest railtour that the Webmaster has embarked on to date. A number of favourite destinations were revisited, including Oban, Inverness, Wick & Edinburgh, as well as some previously unexplored places along the way. |
| click here to view the photo gallery |
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Day One: Friday 10th June | ||||||||||||||
| This tour shall differ from those previous in as much that an evening departure shall be on the cards. After initial travel from the South Coast, I shall board the ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper service at London Euston, for the overnight journey to Fort William. My first class berth should provide me with a comfortable place for a night's sleep before we travel over the wonderful West Highland Line as the train approaches its destination. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Two: Saturday 11th June | |||||||||||||||
| The Caledonian Sleeper arrives in Fort William at 09:45. The remainder of the day shall be taken up exploring the West Highland Line between here and Mallaig. Tonight shall be spent in a Fort William hotel. |
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| Day Three: Sunday 12th June | |||||||||||||||
| Day three shall probably involve a return trip to Oban, with a second night spent in Fort William. |
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| Day Four: Monday 13th June | |||||||||||||||
| This morning it is hoped to travel aboard The Jacobite Steam train to Mallaig and back. This shall be the last night in Fort William. |
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| Day Five: Tuesday 14th June | |||||||||||||||
| This morning I shall embark on a very long trip from Fort William via Glasgow and Perth to Pitlochry, where I shall be staying for two nights at an historic country hotel, complete with its own brewery. |
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| Day Six: Wednesday 15th June | |||||||||||||||
| Wednesday I shall spend the day exploring the Highland Main Line between Pitlochry and Inverness, with a possible visit to Aviemore. A second night shall be spent near Pitlochry. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Seven: Thursday 16th June | |||||||||||||||
| This morning I shall depart Pitlochry for the southbound trip to Edinburgh, where I have rented a luxury apartment for two nights. This evening I shall attend the city's annual beer festival. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Eight: Friday 17th June | |||||||||||||||
| From Edinburgh I shall travel to Falkirk this morning in order to visit the unique Falkirk Wheel boat lift, with the possibility of a canal trip included. This evening I shall be spending time with a friend back in the capital. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Nine: Saturday 18th June | |||||||||||||||
| Today I shall depart Edinburgh for another long trip, this time north to Inverness, where I shall be based for three nights, at a city centre pub. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Ten: Sunday 19th June | |||||||||||||||
| Today I shall head west along the famous Kyle Line, to hopefully include a break at the picturesque village of Plockton. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Eleven: Monday 20th June | |||||||||||||||
| On Monday I shall head north from Inverness on the far North Line to Wick, before returning to the Highland capital for a third night. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Twelve: Tuesday 21st June | |||||||||||||||
| This morning I shall need to leave Inverness and travel all the way back to Fort William in order to board the Caledonian Sleeper service back to London. | |||||||||||||||
| Day Thirteen: Wednesday 22nd June | |||||||||||||||
| Wednesday morning I shall arrive back in London, from where I shall return home to the South Coast. |
| The Scottish Rail Network |
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| Tour Diary | |
| DAY ONE: Friday 10th June | |
| A preliminary journey at 18:04 from Havant station to London Waterloo delivered me into the capital at 19:30. From here I hauled my heavy bags across the West End to Euston, where I decided to kick off my railtour proper in the Head of Steam pub outside the station. The trip immediately got off to a fitting start when I ordered a couple of pints of Caledonian Nectar, a beer brewed in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. At 20:30 I left the pub and headed down to the station concourse. The Caledonian Sleeper service was advertised on the departure boards and soon after was available for boarding. I was surprised to see that the train had a departure time of 20:55. This was 20 minutes earlier than the published timetable, so I was glad I turned up in good time. I'd had a lot of problems with my booking and had only received confirmation of my departure last night, so I was already a little anxious as to whether it would go smoothly on the night. Luckily the steward on the platform had my name on his list and I sought out my First Class cabin where I'm sure I shall be very comfortable for the night. The cabin provides enough space for one person to relax in comfort and has a wash basin, plenty of space for hanging clothes, is air conditioned and I received a complimentary toiletries bag, complete with lots of handy travel items - better even than what you receive on a business class flight! I'm confident that I shall be able to get a few hours sleep at least. Shortly after departure I took a wander along to the Lounge Car. Although busier than I'd expected, it was a very convivial atmosphere and I settled down and ordered a Bruichladdich malt whisky, followed later by a pint of Caledonian beer. Sitting back in the lounge and watching the Buckinghamshire countryside pass by was wonderful. I'm already converted to this form of travel between London and Scotland. This beats air travel by miles, so long as you're not in a hurry! It's now 11:30pm and we passed through Birmingham around half an hour ago. I'm unsure as to our exact location, though I presume that we'll be passing through Stafford very soon. Now is a good time to hit the sack. The tour has started in style! |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
see tomorrow's total |
| DAY TWO: Saturday 11th June | |
| The last place I remember passing last night was Stafford. When I woke up this morning it was about 4.15am and the day was dawning. We were at a standstill and I was aware that we were in the process of being shunted, as the train is split into three sections - one each for Inverness, Aberdeen and my destination, Fort William. I looked out of the window expecting to be at Edinburgh Waverley, but we weren't. I thought that maybe we were at one of the yards a short distance from the station, but then this couldn't be right, as the landscape didn't fit. We stood here for an hour in all and once we were underway again I looked out for the next station we passed through. It was Whifflet, in Lanarkshire, which meant that we'd been seperated at Mossend Yard, not having been anywhere near Edinburgh! This was obviously a new (or diversionery) route. I settled back down to try to get some more sleep, as I knew the route wouldn't start to get scenic for about an hour yet. Later on I looked through the window and found that we were now skirting the Firth of Clyde, approaching Helensburgh. The West Highland Line begins near here and we were soon looking down upon Gare Loch and Loch Long, with the mountains beginning to feature prominently all around. The line enters and passes through the heart of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. It was a perfect summer's morning and the sunlight reflected brightly in the waters of Loch Lomond. From here on you daren't not have a camera poised, as you shall very likely miss some wonderful photo opportunities. This was all I'd hoped for - the West Highland Line on a bright sunny day - what a fabulous way to arrive in Scotland! I had to be very careful not to take too many photos or shoot too much video footage, as all four of my batteries were low on juice. I didn't dare be overzealous and run out of power before we got to the most spectacular scenery. After passing through the picturesque environs of Crianlarich, we pushed north on the climb up to Bridge of Orchy, negotiating the superb Horseshoe Curve, where the line loops around in a giant horseshoe, crossing the viaduct over Allt Kinglass and skirting the enormous bulk of Beinn Dorain. The line continues to the remote Rannoch station - a popular destination for hikers and the end of the road from Pitlochry, located many miles away to the east. Still we climb until Corrour Station is reached - the remotest station on the line, in a total wilderness with no road for about twenty miles. This is also the summit of the West Highland Line - 1350ft above sea level. I spotted a herd of Red Deer which had been startled by the passing train - unfortunately this was one of those occasions when I wasn't quick enough with the camera - the sight of these Monarchs of the Glen on the remote moor would have made a terrific picture. Maybe I'll be luckier another day? Loch Treig looked fantastic in the sunshine - the water looked a deep blue and the mountain backdrop provided some great photo opportunities. Some of the highest bens in the Glen Coe range had snow upon their summits, especially in the north-facing crags. I wasn't expecting to see any evidence of snow in June. The train continued ever closer to its destination, though a long way behind the published schedule. As we passed through Roy Bridge I spotted a superb view in the mirror on the wall of my cabin. I jumped off the bed, camera in hand and got a brilliant vista of the Ben Nevis range, with a substantial amount of snow on their summits - nature had a wonderful way of welcoming me into town! We were over one hour down by the time we pulled in to Fort William, though this I didn't mind because I knew I'd be unable to check in to my hotel until mid afternoon. Nevertheless, I headed straight for the hotel in order to offload my baggage. The Highland Hotel is set high up overlooking the town and Loch Linnhe. Lovely views can be afforded from the frontage and many of the rooms. I took a walk down to the Loch's edge and sat around killing time for an hour or so. I contemplated a boat trip to Seal Island but was put off when a coachload of pensioners arrived to buy tickets - it was only a small pleasure cruiser! Maybe another day? At about 1pm I sought out the Grog & Gruel - Fort William's top (only?) ale house. Six beers greeted me on the bar - all from Scottish microbreweries - it was a shame that I wasn't in a drinking mood after last night! I ordered a half pint of Black Cuillin and got myself a meal too. Eventually it was time to head for the hotel to check-in. My room is in the new extension, rather than the main, Victorian part of the hotel and I haven't got a scenic view, but the room is very nice and more than adequate. I've stayed at the hotel for the remainder of the day, preparing these webpages and relaxing. I'm looking forward to a better night's sleep than I got yesterday too! |
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Rail Mileage so far: |
608 Miles |
| DAY THREE: Sunday 12th June | |
| This morning I set out at around 9:15 and headed for Town Quay where I waited to board the 10am cruise to Seal Island. Fortunately the boat didn't have many passengers this morning, which surprised me seeing as Fort William is possibly the most popular base in the Highlands. The tourism peak is presumably a long way off yet. The cruise took ninety minutes and afforded fine views of the mountains surrounding Loch Linnhe, on which we were travelling. The so called Seal Island turned out to be little more than a large rock located close to the eastern shore of the Loch, and is home to around thirty seals, both Grey and Common. There were plenty to be seen and the boat was able to come in very close to the rock itself, as the seals have become used to its regular visits over the years. Once back on dry land I made my way via the local supermarket to Fort William station, where I boarded the 12:10 service to Glenfinnan. As we were about to depart the station there was a heavy rain shower, though thankfully this soon cleared up. The 35 minute journey skirts the north shore of Loch Eil before climbing up towards my destination station. Shortly before arriving at the station, the line crosses the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, with its majestic curve sweeping over the foot the Glen. The views from the train across Loch Shiel are spectacular - and in my opinion the best view you can find on any stretch of the UK rail network. Glenfinnan's picturesque station is home to a small museum and is an Aladdin's Cave for rail enthusiasts. I bought a few items whilst there, then set off to explore the local area. My first task was to head up the track which leads to the base of the viaduct itself. The scenery around here is superb and photo opportunites are numerous. During today's excursion I shot over one hundred frames and could've taken many more! Just a subtle change of light on the bens can lead to an entirely different photograph. It really is a landscape photographer's dream! The viaduct looks fantastic close up - much larger than it appears from the train and in photographs - and at its highest point may well be taller than it's equally famous English counterpart at Ribblehead. From the viaduct I took a walk back toward the main road and visited the Glenfinnan Monument - built to commemorate the Jacobite Rebellion. The views from the shore of Loch Shiel are tremendous, but are better still from the nearby viewpoint which overlooks the Loch in one direction and the Viaduct in the other. From here I headed off to the nearby Glenfinnan House Hotel, set in an idyllic location on the shore of Loch Shiel, with fine views eastward to Ben Nevis. To my surprise they served a great pint of Black Cuillin ale - and by a manager who seemed to know what he was talking about. I sat outside savouring my beer and admiring the views before heading off for a small circular walk which led me eventually to the main road. I continued up the hill and past the station and found another viewpoint, this time overlooking the West Highland Line as it winds its way through the Glen towards Mallaig. By now the weather had deteriorated to frequent heavy showers, though I was not deterred, having come prepared for a possible change in fortune! Thankfully the rain soon ceased once again and by the time I arrived back at the station it was blue skies once more. The train pulled into the platform shortly before 5pm and before long I was back in Fort William. From the station I headed across the road to the Nevisport Bar, a popular haunt of walkers and climbers. The sight of Orkney Dark Island greeted me on the bar and I ordered a pint along with some fish and chips. The bar had a good atmosphere, The Eagles were playing through the speakers and the beer & food was very nice indeed, so it seems that I made a good choice by stopping here. This evening was spent preparing the website, ready for upload in a couple of days or so. It's rather frustrating not being able to publish the pages each day, as I'd like to be able to share the photos with others, without delay. It's now gone 00:30 and I've an early start tomorrow, so I really must call it a night and get some sleep! |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
34 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
642 Miles |
| DAY FOUR: Monday 13th June | |
| An early start was needed this morning in order to catch the 07:35 departure out of Fort William to Crianlarich - a journey of around two hours over the West Highland Line at its most desolate. From Fort William the train began the long climb via Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Tulloch, from where the line takes a sharp curve to follow the length of Loch Treig before passing over Currour and Rannoch Moor. Despite the rain falling in Fort William, the weather was a little more favourable on the moors and I was able to shoot a good amount of video footage at times. After leaving Rannoch station we called at Bridge of Orchy before rounding the Horseshoe Curve en route to Upper Tyndrum and finally Crianlarich. It was here that I needed to change trains in order to get my connection to Oban. I was aware that I would be waiting around an hour for the Oban train to arrive, which is fair enough, but unfortunately, the preceding train, the Sleeper service from Euston, was running late. This meant that my train would also be late, as it was being held up behind the Sleeper. Frustratingly, this meant also that I would miss the ferry connection to Mull that I'd planned to board on arrival at Oban. I wasn't going to worry too much though, as it wasn't a vital connection. Eventually my train arrived about twenty minutes down - not too bad considering the line is mostly single tracked, with few passing loops. The journey to Oban takes around 75 minutes and passes some wonderful scenery en route. The castle at Loch Awe is an impressive landmark, as are the screes that slide down into the loch as the train makes its way through the Pass of Brander. It was nice to be back in Oban again after two years, though it would have been nicer if the weather had been better. My confidence that it would be a fine day on the Argyll coast was dashed by cloudy skies, a stiff breeze and rather low temperatures. After a quick visit to the Oban Inn I headed up the hill to visit McCaig's Tower (aka McCaig's Folly). This coliseum-like structure was built around a century ago by an eccentric banker and art critic, who wanted to recreate a little part of Rome on the west coast of Scotland! The task was never completed, though the structure is nevertheless quite attractive - better in fact close up than at a distance. The views from the Tower across the harbour to the Western Isles are great - even on a dull day such as this one. I returned to the town centre, bought a sandwich and sat on the quay whilst I ate it. Here I was paid a visit by a Great Black-Backed Gull - the oversized variety with the ferocious-looking beak! Much to my surprise, it took some bread from my hand - not your average nervous gull then! From here it was time to head around the quayside to the ferry terminal for the 2pm crossing to Craignure, on the Isle of Mull. I was surprised at the size of the ferry - much bigger than I'd expected and a lot larger than the variety that I'm used to when travelling to the Isle of Wight. The breeze on the quayside had picked up quite considerably and I knew it would be even worse once we got out into the Sound. I therefore decided to put on my windproof jacket, only to find that it wasn't in my rucksack. It was of course sat in the overhead luggage rack on the train I boarded in Fort William this morning! How annoying! I shall stop by at the lost property office at Glasgow Queen Street station tomorrow to see if it has been handed in. I think there's a good chance that it will have been. Oh well! The journey to Craignure took 45 minutes, though the weather failed to get any better. The coast of Mull was very misty and on arrival at the port there was fine, heavy rain falling. I had to make a quick decision. Do I go ashore for over two hours and risk getting very wet, or do I return to Oban immediately? I decided that, due to there being very little to do at Craignure on a wet afternoon, I would head straight back to the mainland. Ironically, ten minutes into our return journey breaks in the cloud began to reveal some blue sky and the sun shone on some of the surrounding islands! Mull however still looked a little dull, so I wasn't downhearted and enjoyed the return crossing, making sure I took plenty of photos whilst the sun was out. On arrival back at Oban I wandered around town and found a great pub by the name of the Lorne Bar. It had a friendly barmaid, great ale and decor than reminded me more of a city centre pub in Edinburgh rather than something I would expect to find in a fishing port. I stopped for over an hour and spent some time watching the video footage I'd taken today, before ordering some food from the bar. I headed out of Oban on the 18:09 return journey to Crianlarich. Here I had around 30 minutes' wait for my connection and almost made a disastrous error when the train arrived. I wasn't aware that the service split at Crianlarich - half going forward to Oban and the second unit continuing to Mallaig via Fort William. I accidentally set in the forward vehicle, which turned out to be the Oban portion! If it hadn't been for a timely on-board announcement I would have been heading back to where I'd came from, with no prospect of getting back to Fort William tonight! Things just don't seem to be going too well today! I hope things return to normal tomorrow! The return journey to Fort William proved as good as ever, on a surprisingly quiet service - plenty of space to move around when photo opportunities arose. By now I feel than I know the geography of the West Highland Line pretty well, always ready for the best views. The evening sun meant that there were some good chances to capture some special shots of the mountains and lochs. I arrived back at Fort William shortly after 10pm. Thankfully this morning's rain had now gone away and I walked back to the hotel under a fair bit of blue sky. I hope the same can be said tomorrow morning... |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
210 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
852 Miles |
| DAY FIVE: Tuesday 14th June | |
| Another early start was needed this morning, as it was time to leave Fort William until next week and begin the long journey to Perthshire via Glasgow. Luckily the weather was more favourable today and the sun was shining as we pulled out of the station on the 07:35 service. The beauty of the West Highland Line is that you can travel over it time after time, but the views shall always be different. Today was a fine example of that. After last night's great views of the line during the late evening, today saw the surface of Loch Trieg so still that it acted as a mirror, providing a perfect inverted image of Stob Coire Easain's lower slopes as they were reflected in the water. The sometimes bleak environs of Corrour and Rannoch Moor appeared more inviting today in the summer sunshine, where red deer could be seen running away from the passing train. As usual, photo opportunities were endless, and I was able to get some great shots around Horseshoe Curve. Although the train wasn't too busy today, we did manage to pick up a number of unwanted passengers along the way - the infamous Scottish midge was out in force this morning and entered the train en mass whenever we paused at a station. Tulloch was by far the worst - literally hundreds and hundreds of them could be seen filling the air on the station platform - it was as if a plague had descended. Between photographs I managed to terminate at least twenty of the things as they flew around the window - now I know what those little black specks are on the train windows! Around Bridge of Orchy I spotted a Golden Eagle circling above as the train headed south along the side of the glen. Although it was at a fair distance, you could appreciate how huge the bird was - presumably having a wingspan of over six feet - a great sight, which is quite a rarity too. Eventually, after a four hour journey the train pulled into Glasgow's Queen Street station. I had around fifteen minutes before I had to board another service to take me to Perth. I called in at the Lost Property office to enquire about the coat that I left aboard yesterday's train from Fort William. I was pleased to find that, as I expected, it had been handed in. So I don't need to buy another waterproof! I paid a quick visit to the shop to buy some food before boarding the express service bound for Aberdeen. After a pleasant hour's journey I arrived in Perth, where another brief wait was had to get my final connection to my second destination of the tour, Pitlochry. It was good to be back here again, though it was the first time I had arrived here by train. I was really looking forward to geting to my base - the Moulin Hotel and Brewery, located in the picturesque hamlet of the same name. My room is beautifully decorated in cottage style, with elegant furniture and a small canopy over the bed. It's almost a shame that I'm only here for two nights, as I would like to have stayed longer. As I type this it is now 5pm and the rain has at last arrived. It had been forecast for earlier in the day, though had remained dry and sunny until a short time ago. The views up onto the hills from my room still look very inviting, even in the drab weather. This evening I spent some time in the Moulin Inn sampling the ales and having a meal - I love this pub. The owners wouldn't like me saying it, but I think of it as a little part of England in the geographical centre of Scotland, despite it having been here for over 300 years! The beer is superb, the surrounding countryside lovely and the accommodation perfect. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
218 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1070 Miles |
| DAY SIX: Wednesday 15th June | |
| This morning I awoke to find that, thankfully, it wasn't raining, though I was convinced that it would be. The fact that the rushing water of the Moulin Burn can be heard from my room only helped to convince me of such! I set off to Pitlochry station to catch the 09:24 service down to Perth. By the time I'd arrived at the station the rain had arrived! The half hour journey was aboard a GNER HST and on arrival I had around half an hour to wait until my connection to Dundee arrived. I hadn't planned to visit Dundee during this tour - in fact it's my least favourite city - however the route from Perth was the sole railway line north of Scotland's central belt that I'd not travelled over, so it had to be done. I spent around 45 minutes in Dundee before catching another train back to Perth, where I decided to spend around two and a half hours. The weather hadn't improved much by this time, so I bought a paper and whiled away some time in the Capital Asset where I also bought a meal. At around 14:30 I left town and headed back up the Highland Main Line for a misty 90 minute journey to Scotland's ski capital, Aviemore, located in the Cairngorms National Park. It may sound strange, but Aviemore reminds me of some sort of American 'frontier town'! The fact that you have all these diners and outdoor shops located along a straight, wide road reminds me very much of somewhere like Weatherford in North Texas! People often think that Aviemore nestles in a deep glen, surrounded by towering mountains, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is in fact built in a strath, a number of miles from the Cairngorm Mountains, though there are some attractive foothills immediately to the west. I took a walk along to the Old Bridge Inn, located next to the Aviemore Bunk House. This was a great little place, with good beer and friendly service. unfortunately I was too early for a meal, although the barmaid very kindly offered to prepare me some soup. Before leaving town I also checked out the Cairngorm Hotel where they had a guy singing and playing guitar. Once he'd finished his set they played some recorded music, which I soon realised was all by Scottish artistes - a nice touch. I crossed the road to the station and found that there was a steam train on Platform 3, which is used by the Strathspey Railway Company. Although there were not yet any passengers joining the service, a piper stood playing on the platform, which sounded superb. I had an enjoyable trip back south to Pitlochry, on a half empty train, though the weather wasn't an awful lot better than it was on the way up, until we got south of Druimauchdar Pass - the highest point on the UK rail network at almost 1500ft. Once back at the hotel in Moulin I spent the evening watching TV and updating this page before going to bed. I'm now beginning to feel the affects of all the mileage and late nights I've been having recently! |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
210 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1280 Miles |
| DAY SEVEN: Thursday 16th June | |
| This morning it was time to check out of the Moulin Hotel and head for the station in order to catch the 09:24 service down to Edinburgh. I arrived in the capital around two hours later and made my way up onto the Royal Mile, where I have hired an apartment for a couple of nights. The flat is situated within one of the many medieval tenement buildings that line the streets within the Old Town. Accessed via a narrow Close and through an anonymous doorway, you are then confronted with a steep, ancient, stone spiral staircase. I left my bags with the receptionist and headed back out for a few hours, as I was too early to check-in to the flat at this time. My first port-of-call was the trusty Standing Order pub on George Street, where I ordered a pint and a lunchtime meal. The weather in Edinburgh was a fair bit worse than I'd experienced when leaving Pitlochry this morning, with heavy, persistent drizzle making things rather unpleasant at times. I was therefore in no hurry to leave the pub, but after an hour decided to relocate to the Cumberland Bar, one of my New Town favourites. Buying a paper on the way, I killed another hour here, then made my way to the local supermarket to purchase some food to take back to the apartment. At 3pm I was able to check-in. The apartment is located high up on the third floor, with good views overlooking the Lawnmarket. The climb up the aforementioned stairwell certainly takes in out of you! A large lounge, long, narrow kitchen, sizeable bathroom and double bedroom to the rear meant that I had plenty of space here. The furnishings however, weren't quite as I'd expected, though this didn't detract from the overall appeal of the place. The management had supplied some breakfast, fruit and other essential items, including milk, which I wasn't expecting - and therefore had just purchased myself! I set about unpacking then sat down to watch the lengthy video footage that I have been shooting since the tour began last Friday evening. This evening I'd planned to meet up with a friend and go along to the annual Beer Festival that's being held at the Assembly Rooms this weekend (this being the main reason that I have chosen to stay in Edinburgh for the next two nights). However, we postponed our meeting until tomorrow and I therefore walked over to the event by myself this evening. The festival, now in its third year, is always a great success and seems to get busier each time I visit. An unexpected attraction during this evening's procedings was a visit by the Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band, which made a rousing spectacle and proved very popular with the crowd as they marched into the Halls and performed for ten minutes. I was glad that I'd decided to take my video camera along with me, as this was the highlight of an already enjoyable evening. Back at the apartment later tonight I watched some more video footage before heading for bed. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
98 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1378 Miles |
| DAY EIGHT: Friday 17th June | |
| This morning I arose at around 8am after a very comfortable night in the huge 6ft bed that is in my apartment. After making beakfast I headed for Waverley station, a short walk from where I am based. This morning's plan was to head west to visit the Falkirk Wheel, the unique boat lift on the Forth & Clyde Canal. To reach the site I boarded a train to take me to Camelon station, a short distance outside of Falkirk itself. From here it was around a one and a half mile walk, most of which was via the canal towpath. The Wheel itself makes an impressive sight, standing on the side of a hill overlooking the Forth Valley, standing 115ft high. I was pleased to be able to book a boat trip which included a ride on the wheel, so after taking a few photos, I boarded the 11.30 trip. The captain, an amiable Glaswegian who would do well as a stand-up comedian, talked us through all the details of the Wheel, and how it works. After a fifteen minute delay we were underway and the Wheel took us on the ascent to the top level, turning through 180 degrees in around five minutes. From here you got a close up view of the marvellous engineering acheivement which has enabled the Wheel to become reality. Now in its third year of operation, it sees around one million passengers pass through per annum, though I supect the majority of these are day trippers like myself, rather than narrow-boat users. Progress from here on was slow, as the boat took the short journey through the tunnel which passes beneath the Antonine Wall and the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line. I must admit to getting rather frustrated from here on, with the extremely show progress that we made on the return trip to the lower basin. The whole journey lasted an hour and a half, which I felt was a little excessive - I would have preferred something shorter. Once back on dry land I took a walk up the hill to the upper level, close to the northern portal of the tunnel. This was the best spot for photo opportunities, so after a brief stop here I headed back on the long walk to Camelon station. My next port of call was Stirling, where I arrived at around 2pm. This ancient city bears many resemblences to Edinburgh, yet on a smaller scale. It's castle dominates the surrounding area, perched high on a rocky outcrop, much the same as the capital's counterpart. The castle is best viewed from the west side of town, where some great photo opportunites await. I stopped off at the Portcullis Hotel for a pint, then took a stroll around town before heading back to the station in order to return to Edinburgh by 6pm. This evening was spent at the apartment where I was joined my Scottish friend. It had been quite some time since we'd last met up and both myself and she had lots of catching up to do. A convivial evening was had over some bottles of wine and (overdone) pizza(!) and this proved to be a very nice way to round off this visit to my favourite city. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
72 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1350 Miles |
| DAY NINE: Saturday 18th June | |
| I rose at 7am today, thankfully free of the hangover I suspected may have greeted me! After packing my belongings and tidying the apartment it was time once again to head off on another long excursion - this time back north. At Waverley station I boarded the delayed 08:40 service to the highland city of Inverness. The route took us via the magnificent Forth Bridge to Fife, then on to Perth to join the Highland Main Line. As I type this we have recently passed over Druimauchdar summit and are travelling through the attractive scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Due to arrive shortly before midday, we are currently around 30 minutes late, though this does not pose a problem, as I doubt that I shall be able to gain access to my room at the King's Highway until around 3pm. Having arrived at the hotel at around 12.30pm, I went into the bar to order a meal and have a drink before taking a walk around the city and making my way down to the River Ness to take some photos. Having visited the city a couple of years back I was already familiar with the geography of Inverness. Two ornate 19th Century pedestrian suspension bridges cross the River and make an interesting photographic subject, however filming video footage upon them is not advisable, as they move up and down quite vigorously as people may their way across them! Inverness Castle is sited in an elevated position, overlooking the river from it's north bank. The castle is however not what one would expect a Highland castle to look like, as it is in fact municipal buildings and a court house. The city's cathedral can be seen on the south bank of the river, with it's two towers dominating the west front. Once having checked in at the hotel I spent the remainder of the day in my room, catching up on composing this diary as well as downloading photographs ready for inclusion on the website. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
175 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1525 Miles |
| DAY TEN: Sunday 19th June | |
| After a sometimes frustrating night at the hotel (with fire alarms going off twice after midnight) I was pleased to not have to get up early this morning to catch an early train. Instead, I left the hotel at around 10am and took a walk up to the castle in order to get some photographs from this good vantage point overlooking the river and the hills to the south. The weather today was very warm, so I was able to dispense with a coat. My journey today was to take me to the picturesque village of Plockton, located towards the western end of the line to Kyle of Lochalsh and overlooking Loch Carron and the surrounding mountains. The train departed Inverness at around 11:14 and I made sure that I got a seat with a view on the right-hand side of the carriage - this side, in my opinion, offering the best views en route. As the service left Dingwall to join the Kyle Line, we climbed up through the wooded surroundings and the weather became increasingly dull. The hills around us were disappearing into the cloud and as the train crossed the desolate environs of Achnasheen and Achenalt the mist had really closed in. Luckily, as we approached the shores of Loch Carron later in the journey the cloud rose and the weather began to brighten. Some fine views could be had across the Loch, at last offering some decent photographic opportunites. The train pulled into Plockton on time - a tiny station with a restaurant and bar extending onto the platform itself. From the station there are no signs to tell the first-time visitor of the direction of the village. After a couple of false starts I managed to navigate my way down to the village itself and found the place to be all that I was expecting it to be. An abundance of palm trees line Harbour Street which skirts the Loch and visitors are able to enjoy some superb views from the beer garden of the Plockton Hotel. I paid a visit to the bar and enjoyed two great pints of Deuchars and Hebridean Gold whilst admiring the scenery. Unfortunately, time was not on my side, as I only had two hours at Plockton before I needed to return to Inverness. I made time to check out a second Good Beer Guide listed pub, the Plockton Inn on my way back to the station. This was a slight disappointment, as for the first time since arriving at Euston station at the start of my tour, I had no option but to drink an English beer! It surprised me that a GBG listed pub in one of Scotland's most well-known tourist villages did not serve a Scottish ale. Shame. The return journey to Inverness saw some much-improved weather, so plenty of photo opportunities presented themselves en route. This was the best I'd seen the Kyle Line and I was able to appreciate what it has to offer much better with the sun shining. Back at base I had an early evening meal before taking a walk out to the village of Clachnaharry, on the outskirks of the city. The route took me over the river and eventually to a lock and swing bridge on the Caledonian Canal. From here I was able to walk the towpath to the entrance of the canal, where it joins the Beauly Firth. The <i>Clachnaharry Inn</i> has been voted the Pub of the Year by the Inverness Branch of CAMRA and has received a number of other local awards. The pub serves up around ten real ales from both sides of the border, with house beers and interesting guest ales usually being available. The beer garden to the rear overlooks the Inverness to Dingwall railway line and has views of the Firth to the north. It was a beautiful evening on which to soak up the sun whilst enjoying a couple of great pints. A plesant walk of a couple of miles took me back to the hotel, where I arrived, still in the sunshine, at around 9:45pm. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
152 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
1677 Miles |
| DAY ELEVEN: Monday 20th June | |
| An early start was in order this morning to catch the 07:14 service for the long journey to Wick, at the teminus of the Far North Line. Whilst being less popular than the scenic Kyle and West Highland lines, the route as much to offer the traveller, from the views across loch and sea, through the picturesque Strath of Kildonan, to the wilds of the Achentoul Forest. The four and a half hour journey is operated by Class 158 sprinter units - not the Webmaster's favourite mode of rail transport by any stretch of the imagination, but fortunately the Far North Line is always under-used and therefore one can expect to have plenty of room to stretch out a bit. For wildlife lovers, this route must certainly be the jewel in the crown of Britian's railways. I lost count of the amount of different species of bird I saw throughout the journey. The shores of the North Sea, firths and lochs are brimming with Oyster Catchers, Cormorants, Kittiwakes and Egrets. Additionally, smaller species such as Pied Wagtails and Swifts can be seen in the meadows. I was lucky enough to catch some great views of large birds of prey, perched on fences bordering the railway line, though I'm yet to identify these. Keep an eye out as you pass through the Strath of Kildonan as the line follows the route of the River Helmsdale - here you shall see herds of Red Deer close to the line as well as some of the aforementioned birds. As the line winds it's way ever further north towards Kinbrace and Forsinard, the surroundings become very bleak indeed. The vast moors stretch as far as the eye can see, and some small lochs can be found close by. The RSPB centre at Forsinard attracts many wildlife lovers and the Red Deer seem to enjoy the proximity of human habitation - even the passing trains don't seem to worry them - maybe they know no fear from predetors up here? Once the service had arrived in the far-flung town of Wick I set about taking a brief look around the place. I'd been here before, but only for twenty minutes - that time my destination was Thurso, so I didn't hang around. This time I made my way down to the harbour, expecting to find some trawlers and the like. However, this wasn't the case and it left me wondering as to whether the fishing industry has all but died up here? The harbour was forlorne-looking, grey and unwelcoming. Maybe it would have looked nicer on a sunny day? Today was rather cloudy up here, though thankfully no evidence of the rain that had been forecast for the extreme north. My priority now was to have something to eat after the long journey, so I dropped in to Wetherspoons' most northerly pub, the Alexander Bain. This was typical of the company's decor though the pub was larger than I'd expected for such a remote town. I also took a look around the small shopping area in order to buy some tapes for my camcorder. Much as I'd expected, I couldn't find the necessary kind of shop for such a product. Before long it was time to head back on the long trip south. As the journey progressed the weather became brighter and at Forsinard I was able to get some good footage of the Red Deer as they grazed by the lineside. It was a pleaseant, though rather long trip, and we managed to loose time en route - something that puzzled me, as there is no other traffic on the line and the timetable has already been altered recently in order to help the trains keep to time - I must admit that I don't have a lot of confidence in ScotRail's new franchisee, First Group. When National Express ran the business the trains appeared to be more reliable. Since I arrived north of the border for this tour I have been aboard a number of late running services, and have heard of more still as I've waited for my own trains. There were plenty of opportunities for photos and video footage as we headed down to Inverness, though I was getting very low on video tape. We arrived back in the city about twenty minutes late, at about 17:10. I made a quick dash to buy some more video tapes before heading back to the hotel. This evening I took the short walk around the corner to the Blackfriars - Inverness' premier city-centre real ale pub. I was rather surprised to approach the bar and find a choice of only two beers on offer. When I commented about this the barmaid informed me that they were having their beer engines replaced and therefore had only a limited choice. It then dawned on me that one of the banks of pumps had indeed been removed. I settled down for a read of the paper whilst enjoying some English beer (shame!) and I stayed at the pub for about an hour or so. I love the atmosphere of the Blackfriars - it's very laid back and I would always recommend it to anyone who happens to visit Inverness. Next stop was the unimaginatively-named '27', located at that address on Castle Street. Here I bought a pint of Deuchars before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel in order to get to bed a little earlier. |
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Today's Rail Mileage: |
349 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
2026 Miles |
| DAY TWELVE: Tuesday 21st June | |
| This morning it was time to leave Inverness and embark an a huge loop of the Highlands in order to get me back to Fort William for tonight's Sleeper service back down to London. I left town on the 07:55 GNER Highland Chieftan service, bound for London Kings Cross. I was travelling as far as Perth, where I had to make a fairly tight connection. The trip south was a good one and I set about updating this diary whilst we travelled along the scenic Highland Main Line. There were plenty of great photo opportunities as the journey progressed. The sun came out and the surrounding mountains and moors looked wonderful. However, I decided to resist the temptation of getting the camera out, as I was keen to work on my laptop in order to get the webpage updated ready for publication soon. On a frustrating note, the train lost time shortly after departure from Inverness. This wasn't good news and I kept a close eye on our progress as we headed south. By the time we'd reached Pitlochry we were at least twelve minutes down. I was getting a little anxious about this, as I had less than twenty minutes to connect on arrival at Perth. To my relief we arrived at least five minutes before my connection to Glasgow pulled into Platform 1. This connecting service was worked by a three-car Class 170 unit which was packed - I therefore had to make do with a perch seat in the vestibule for the hour's journey to Queen Street station. On arrival in Glasgow I had around one hour and forty minutes before my second connection up the West Highland Line to Fort William. This was a good opportunity to get a bite to eat, so I headed for the Counting House, a large, opulent pub on George Square. It was here that I noticed two retired gents enter the pub - I first came across them on my trip back from Plockton on Sunday. Yesterday they boarded the train at Thurso on my return trip from Wick - now today they've turned up in Glasgow and I bet they'll be joining my service to Fort William (answer: 'Yes')! So it's not just me who enjoys travelling thousands of miles by train? (answer: 'No, there's loads of us'!) After a bite to eat and a couple of pints it was time to head north again on the long journey back through the Highlands. The trip was as good as ever and we even had two breaks of journey at Ardlui and Crianlarich en route, which was a good opportunity to stretch my legs. On arrival at Fort William the Jacobite steam train was waiting in the opposite platform, having just arrived back from it's daily excursion to Mallaig. I was toying with the idea of travelling on this last week, but the excessive cost (£26) and the fact that it's almost always fully booked put me off. I left the station and stopped by at the Nevisport Bar to kill an hour or so before transferring to the Grog & Gruel further up the High Street. I was pleased to find that the beer was on top form today - I didn't enjoy my drink here last week, but that could've been due to my hangover at the time! I bought some more food here, as it was to be my last opportunity before heading home. At around 19:30 I arrived back at the station to catch the Sleeper home. Here I found more discrepancies with my booking, as they did not have my name on their passenger list! Luckily (for them) it was not a full service, so I was able to use the berth stated on my confirmation. First ScotRail is a complete shambles at present. I can't for the life of me understand why the franchise was lost by National Express and given to this company instead. Historically I cannot remember ever having a problem with ScotRail in the past, yet now that First have taken over it's been one thing after another. My letter shall be in the post shortly! Haulage for the Sleeper tonight was tired old Class 37 Royal Scotsman - looking all of its forty years, with holes in the bodywork and corrosion around the driver's cab! Mind you, when the train pulled out of the station it made a wonderful sound - now that's why enthusiasts call them Growlers! I resisted the temptation to check out the Lounge Car, and instead opted to enjoy the journey from the comfort of my cabin. Once we'd left Tulloch station I spent the next 90 minutes or so filming the journey through the open window in the vestibule. Not having any glass between myself and the scenery really made me feel that I was out there in it. Fantastic. On departure from Corrour a Red Deer close to the line struck the classic Monarch of the Glen pose for me as I videoed it from its position atop a rocky outcrop. That was exactly the shot I'd been after since arriving in Scotland! After rounding the Horseshoe Curve I decided to call it a night and retired back to my cabin. |
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Today's Rail Mileage (excluding Sleeper): |
307 Miles |
Cumulative Rail Mileage: |
2333 Miles |
| DAY THIRTEEN: Wednesday 22nd June | |
| Early this morning, at around 1:30am, I was aware that there was activity outside the train. I guessed that we'd arrived in Edinburgh, where the train is coupled up to the Inverness and Aberdeen Sleepers, from where they all travel down to London as one train. I was right - a glimse out of the window gave me a view of the north loop line at Waverley station. Before too long we were underway again and I tried to get back to sleep, despite it being rather warm in the cabin and a little cramped in the narrow bed. I eventually decided to get up at around 6.30am. I suspected that we may have reached as far south as Hertfordshire, but a look outside confirmed that we were still in Warwickshire as we sped through Rugby station and past the multitude of aerial masts at Daventry. Soon after I was served a substantial breakfast by the host: Fresh fruit, yoghurt, croissant, Danish pastry, orange juice, shortbread and coffee no less! Very nice too. At about 7:20am we pulled into Euston station and I had arrived back in the sunny south of England. From here I needed to transfer across to Waterloo, from where I caught the 08:30 fast service to my local station of Havant. Thus ends a thoroughly enjoyable second tour of Scotland. Next trip...the South West of England, but not for a few months yet! |
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Today's Rail Mileage (including full Sleeper Route): |
628 Miles |
TOTAL RAIL MILEAGE: |
2961 Miles |
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