10 minute read
Making tracks
In Scotland, the journey is all part of the adventure, and this is never truer than when you are travelling by train
Words by SALLY COFFEY
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The famous Jacobite Steam Train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct
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The West Highland Line passes Loch Nan Uamh; the Glenfinnan Monument at the head of Loch Shiel; the Club Car on the Caledonian Sleeper Train; the sun sets over Rannoch Moor Earlier this year I travelled by Caledonian Sleeper train from London to Fort William with a friend. We boarded the train at 8.30 on a Sunday evening, ordered a glass of bubbles each to our cabin – sadly the Club Car was still out of bounds due to the pandemic – had a celebratory toast and then settled down for a relaxing read in our bunks before being rocked to sleep by the motion of the train.
The next thing I knew, I woke to the exclaim: “Sally, Sally, there are deer!” as my by-now very excitable friend, pointed to the window.
Dragging my groggy self out of bed to the window to join her, I looked out as we passed deer after deer as the railway line crossed Rannoch Moor and I smiled. It was Anna’s first time on a Sleeper, so her excitement was justified, but having already travelled by Sleeper several times, perhaps more surprisingly, my excitement was almost on par.
If the Club Car was open, we would have taken a seat there and eaten our breakfast as we watched through the window as the train pulled into Corrour, the most remote train station in Britain (where deer can sometimes be seen on the platform – this is known as the Deer Stalker route). We would have sipped our coffee as the boggy moorland of Rannoch Moor gave way to the lochs and mountains of the
© BRADLEY PAGE/ALAMY/AIRBORNE LENS/KENNY LAM/PAUL TOMKINS/VISIT SCOTLALND/ CHARLIE FRASER-HOPEWELL
Thurso
Kyle of Lochalsh Wick
Inverness
Aviemore
Mallaig Fort William
Caledonian Sleeper West Highland Line Jacobite Steam Train The Kyle Line The Far North Line Strathspey Railway
Glasgow
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The scenic Kyle Line passes through the charming village of Plockton in the Highlands Highlands as we clattered towards Tulloch and then onwards to Spean Bridge.
As it was, we had to make do with looking out the window in the narrow corridor outside our door as we drank our coffee and ate our bacon rolls, for though the Sleeper trains offer a real adventure, there’s not really space for side-byside wildlife watching from the one window within the cabins themselves.
There are lots of routes you can travel on the Caledonian Sleeper – to Inverness, Oban and Aberdeen – and all trains set off from London Euston, so it is a great way to travel to Scotland if you want to factor in some London shopping and sights rst.
However, for me, it’s the Fort William route, where there’s a good couple of hours of scenery to take in when you wake before you alight, that is the true show-stopper. This route travels a large section of the West Highland Line, repeatedly put forth as one of the greatest rail journeys in the world and you’ll nd no argument here.
If you’re travelling by Sleeper, set your alarm for 6am to really make the most of the views, for very shortly after Glasgow you enter the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, skirting Loch Long before travelling along the northern section of Loch Lomond itself. North of the park, the railway line makes a horseshoe curve around the foot of three mighty hills: Beinn Dorain, Beinn a’ Chaisteil and Beinn Odhar. Soon you’ll enter the beautifully bleak landscape of Rannoch Moor with the Glen Coe mountains in the distance.
© ANDREW HOPKINS/ALAMY
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A ScotRail train travels along the Kyle Line; Attadale Gardens near Strathcarron can be reached on the Kyle Line; the Skye Bridge leads to the island from Kyle of Lochalsh
Sleeper guests are deposited at Fort William in view of Ben Nevis around 10am and from here you can complete the West Highland Line route to Mallaig, from where you can catch the ferry to Skye, either by boarding one of ScotRail’s diesel trains, or in summer by making the onward connection with the Jacobite Steam Train.
If the latter, there is a choice of ways to travel, from the very affordable seats in the standard class carriage, to a firstclass carriage with private tables for two, lamps and luxurious upholstered seating, to private compartments. Known to many these days as the ‘Harry Potter train’, as it was on this train that students of Hogwarts travelled to school in the film franchise, the most jaw-dropping part of the journey is crossing over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a huge, arced bridge that spans 1,000ft, offering awesome views of the Glenfinnan Monument, which stands on the shores of Loch Shiel.
The full route of the West Highland Line, which travels from Glasgow to Mallaig, can also be done on a ScotRail diesel train and is best completed in the daytime, when you won’t miss any of the epic showreel. Whichever way you travel, make sure you get a seat on the left-hand side of the train, you’ll thank me when you reach Glenfinnan.
While the West Highland Line may have had the press, and certainly has the visitors, there are other rail routes in Scotland that offer extraordinary scenery, too.
©JOHN BRACEGIRDLE/ALAMY/PAUL TOMKINS/VISIT SCOTLAND/ANGUS DUNCAN
If you are travelling onto Skye, or planning a visit to Eilean Donan Castle, or perhaps just want to see some of the lesserknown Highlands, then consider travelling from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh along the Kyle Line.
A route primarily used by locals, providing some essential connections for small Highland towns and villages, with exceptional views of Skye as you near Kyle of Lochalsh, it is a real hidden gem.
The 80-mile route, which takes around two-and-a-half hours is considered by some to be Scotland’s most scenic route – the late travel writer Alexander Frater likened it to a symphony in three parts: “pastoral, mountain and marine”. The fact it is still here at all is thanks to the tireless work of The Friends of the Kyle Line, since it has been earmarked for closure many times.
There are around three to four trains a day along the line, with occasional visiting trains such as the Orient Express, the Royal Scotsman and occasionally steam trains.
Though there are connections to Inverness, the line actually starts a little outside the city in Dingwall, an attractive market town. As you leave Dingwall and travel west towards Muir of Ord, look out for Ben Wyvis to the north, its whaleback ridge commanding the skyline.
From here you’ll pass by lochs and moorland as you cross inland to the coast. As you near Achnashellach Forest, Wester Ross’s Torridon Peaks can be seen to the north, and horticulturists should probably disembark shortly afterwards at Attadale to view the famous gardens backed by the outline of Skye.
Another highlight is the pretty-as-a-picture village of Plockton, where the TV series Hamish Macbeth was filmed, and which still retains a sense of unhurriedness, with a beautiful sea loch, a smattering of good pubs and giftshops and some excellent seal tours.
When the train reaches its final destination of Kyle of Lochalsh, you can jump on a bus and cross the Skye Bridge to the Misty Isle itself.
Another railway line missed by many, is the Far North Line, again an essential network for those living in the north Highlands, which tracks along the east coast of the North Coast 500 route, through Ross and Cromarty, all the way to Caithness and Sutherland.
Setting off from Inverness, it trudges north past a number of distilleries – Dalmore and Glenmorangie to name a couple – salmon rivers, historic sites and old fishing communities, following the hug of the North Sea, initially.
You can alight at Tain to cross the Dornoch Firth to visit the seaside resort (and famous golf course) of Dornoch.
The line then swings inland to pick up and drop off in Lairg, before returning to the coast just in time to make a stop at Dunrobin Castle (only in summer), Brora and Helmsdale, before heading inland again.
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Dornoch Beach and Royal Dornoch golf course; a firstclass compartment on the Jacobite; the Far North Line travels through the Highlands; one of the Strathspey Steam Railway locomotives chugs alongside the River Spey
It’s a great way to get a sense of just how remote some of these places are, with the train repeatedly pulling into the most unlikely of stations, such as Altnabreac in the heart of the Flow Country, a vast area of blanket bog and one of the RSPB’s most important peat habitats.
The route stops at Thurso – the most northerly train station in the British Isles – where there are some good seafood dining options nearby, before returning via the historic fishing town of Wick.
And finally, though there are a fair few steam trains in Scotland, the Strathspey Steam Railway in the Cairngorms has to be up there in terms of the most scenic. This year the Victorian railway celebrates 40 years of being brought back to life and though it is a short journey in comparison – a 20-mile round trip from Aviemore to Broomhill and back – it offers a real slice of nostalgia.
Inside, there are several options for seating and eating, including afternoon tea and luncheon. There are standard seats and first-class compartments, though the best seats on board are in the Officer’s Saloon Car, a restored 1940s car with wood panelling, red carpets and compartments for six. En route you’ll have views of the River Spey, the Cairngorms mountains and plenty of wildlife.
Run by a team of volunteers, its future will only be assured if people continue to use it, so next time you’re in the Cairngorms, take a little trip back in time. S
© KAV DADFAR/AWL IMAGES/DOUGLAS CARR/SCOTTISH VIEWPOINT/ALAMY PLAN YOUR RAILWAY ADVENTURE
CALEDONIAN SLEEPER
With overnight trains six nights a week (not Saturdays), the Caledonian Sleeper will whisk you all the way from London to Fort William. sleeper.scot
JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN
From April to October, travel the final section of the West Highland Line aboard this vintage steam train westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/ steam-train-trip
THE KYLE LINE
Saved from closure several times, this railway route is the most romantic way to travel from Inverness to Skye. kylerailway.co.uk
WEST HIGHLAND LINE
ScotRail runs several trains a day along the whole route of the West Highland Line at a snippet of the price of the Caledonian Sleeper and the Jacobite Steam Train. scotrail.co.uk
THE FAR NORTH LINE
Venture into the heart of the north Highlands, where visitors rarely go, on this train route. fofnl.org.uk
STRATHSPEY RAILWAY
These vintage trains travel through the Cairngorms and will transport you into a bygone era. strathspeyrailway.co.uk
