This morning I faced the earliest start of the week. Dragging myself out of the warm hotel room into the damp, dark streets of Aberdeen was not easy. Hit by a distinctly wintery nip in the Northern air too on my way to the station. The place was almost deserted, but noted the unit which was to work to Inverness was ticking over at the North end of platform 6. Took the opportunity to wander around a bit and figure out how the station works, as I've not really been here long enough to puzzle it out in the past. Soon on our way on the 06:25 to Inverness. Managed to snooze a little while it was dark, did notice both the Royal Scotsman with 57601 at the helm and the DRS operated Rail Head Treatment Train (that's dealing with leaves on the line, for the uninitiated!) at Keith.
Only a short time at Inverness to find breakfast and get to the Kyle train. Noted that the service was heavily reserved, mainly for a couple of coach parties. Found a seat in the declassified First Class area and settled in for the journey to the coast. The first part of the trip followed the same route as the Far North Line, but after calling at the surprisingly busy Dingwall, we took a sharp curve to the left and began an ascent into the hills. More incredible scenery - trying to describe it here would do it very little justice in fact, and its rare I'm stuck for words on this usually excessively verbose blog! Consistently surprised by the well-kept and maintained stations along the route - even the smallest single-platform halt seemed to be tidy, in excellent repair and inviting. With both coach parties on board, the rather busy train made its way slowly Westwards.
Descending towards the coast, the settlements become a little larger, and a fair number of passengers seemed to join or alight at Strathcarron, Stromeferry and Plockton. I particularly loved this stretch of line, which still seemed to be the typical rural community railway which we all imagine. Soon arrived at Kyle, and immediately its well tended station, museum and tea room were packed with tourists and ferry passengers.
Interesting to note that the independece of the Highland Railway is preserved here - from the plaque commemorating Kyle's centenary to the stag emblem on Kyle of Lochalsh Signal Box. There also seems to be a pride in customer service and timekeeping which doesn't exist south of Platform 2 at Inverness! Took some pictures of the Skye Bridge and of our train. Purchased some postcards and a booklet about the line to make my contribution to the Friends of the Kyle Line group, and reboarded for the trip back.
This part of the journey had the potential to go very wrong - an eleven minute connection into the Edinburgh service at Inverness, and a certain knowledge that the staff at the station had little regard for interchange between the Highland Line and the main line south gained by bitter experience. We crossed another train as planned at Strathcarron with little delay, and made up a couple of minutes caused by long station stops with no problem. Arrived on time and made the dash over to the Edinburgh train which was already filling up. No seats in the back end of First Class so headed for the front. Soon realised that the ex-Hull Trains 170s have been stripped of all but seven seats of First Class. With no time to go hunting for a seat, found myself standing in a vestibule as far as Perth - not a high point of the trip. Didn't miss much in terms of a view however, as the mist descended and the rain started to fall around Carrbridge - a damp dark and gloomy evening to match my mood perhaps?
After writing the above I discovered the following snippet of verse which reminded me that while my minor irritations on this route were nothing compared to those who tackled the formidable Drumochter Pass on foot or horseback, there has always been a miserable aspect to the place:
Mi gabhail Straith Dhruim Uachdair,
'S beag m'aighear anns an uair so:
Tha an latha air dol gu gruamachd
S'chan e tha buain mo sproc.
(As I travel the Strath of Drumochter,
Little my joy at this season:
the day has turned out grimly
and that does not help my gloom.)
John Macdonald c1620-c1710, from "A Lament for the State of the Country"
Finally arrived at Waverley, which was still in the grip of it's rush hour. Made some quick purchases and found a seat on the very quiet 18:10 to Newcastle. A really relaxing and pleasant end to a long and tiring day. The trip to Kyle of Lochalsh was incredible - and worth the effort, but I can only dream of what it would have been like with a real locomotive!
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
