British Isles tour Monday 28th July

[RochdalePioneers]

I'm starting nearly a full week of travel around the British Isles by train, with a few ferries and buses thrown in for good measure. Plan is to do Sailrail to Belfast then on to Skye.

Main tour starts on Wednesday but today I get a brief mini trip from Essex into London. Onboard the 09:39 Laindon - Fenchurch Street as far as West Ham. It's an 8-car 357 set which as the first off peak train from Laindon westeards I thought would be busier than it is! Reasonably loaded but plenty of empty seats.

I'll post updates on every leg once I get going properly on Wednesday but thought I'd say hello first. Then after I'm done on Sunday evening there's a day off before heading to Alicante via a nightbus leap to Heathrow, Madrid, then AVE.....

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[RochdalePioneers]

Okay so what should have been a simple in and out from Essex turned into a bit of a jig. After West Ham the plan was Hammersmith train to Kings Cross to meet colleagues but couldn't resist a D78 move on the District as far as Whitechapel before changing onto an S7 to the Cross as planned.

After meetings in Holborn it was Chancery Lane to Bank on Central (love the 2nd radius curves at Bank station - who said Hornby was unprototypical?) Then a walk to Fenchurch Street for the ride back to Laindon. Except that as we pull away the phone rings and I'm needed back in Holborn! So off at Limehouse, onto DLR to Bank and along the endless link tunnels from the DLR platforms to the Central line platforms at what allegedly is one station.

After that I needed to be overground due to a conference call, so walked via Bank to Fenchurch Street to get on another C2C train back to Essex. Feels like a longer day than it is, and that's it til Wednesday.

To keep you interested the itinery is Darlington Edinburgh London Holyhead Dublin Belfast Cairnryan Ayr Glasgow Perth Inverness Kyle of Lochalsh Portree Armadale Mallaig Fort William Glasgow Edinburgh Darlington (then a day off) then Darlington London Heathrow flight to Madrid train to Alicante.

Then beer......

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[RochdalePioneers]

Right then, sat at a very quiet Darlington station waiting for 1S28 to take me to Edinburgh. No travel issues reported on national rail to affect us yet, just indifferent weather. Wonder what sort of 1st class service East Coast will serve up - booked as All day menu to Newcastle

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[RochdalePioneers]

Sat on board looking at Durham Cathedral with a nice Old Speckled Hen. Interesting contrast in customer service styles. Got on at the door the guard was at - took one look at my 65 litre backpack and 13 year old son and pointed me towards standard.

And once sat in 1st a steward pounced - can he get us anything? Food and drink trolley will go past after Newcastle, but can he get us anything now? Yes please!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Cheecky so and So of a guard. Why shouldnt a teenage lad and a 65ltr backpack ride in First?? Sounds like a great bash, enjoy it!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Steward brought us 8 (count them) sandwiches, crisps and biscuits after Newcastle as well as more drinks. Great Scottish crew but they usually are. Leaving Berwick now with dusk setting in over the North Sea

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Sleeper to Euston was great fun. Train was ready for boarding just before 11. Whilst I rode sleepers on my ALR 14 years ago that was in the seats, first time in a cabin. We were both in bed before we set off, and apart from mega wobbles leaving Waverly then again passing over the junctions west of Haymarket the rude was pretty smooth.

I was aware a couple of times during the night of movement or wheel noise but nothing significant until a gentle bump to a stop woke me . Checking my watch I thought it was Watford, but checking Realtime Trains it appears that 1M11 arrived 29 early.....

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Onboard 1D83 to Holyhead. In the Unclassified coach by the shop, with the tables lined up with the windows which are large, with ample luggage room behind the seats - have I come to the conclusion that I'm happy riding a Voyager? When the alternative is a Pendolino.....?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Good progress so far. For us nozy sods do tell us which ship your on to Dublin!

 

[Kite159]

Onboard 1D83 to Holyhead. In the Unclassified coach by the shop, with the tables lined up with the windows which are large, with ample luggage room behind the seats - have I come to the conclusion that I'm happy riding a Voyager? When the alternative is a Pendolino.....?

I noticed that as well on a Virgin Voyager, that they have more tables than a XC Voyager.

As for the noise, well, they are quieter than a 159

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Update from the Enterprise service to Belfast. Arrival at Holyhead was in the platform furthest from the ferry terminal, so pretty much the entire "Double Super Voyager" (as the Train Manager always announced it) traipsed across from one side of the station to the other past the empty platform. Then in the terminal no attempt to direct people into separate Stena and Irish Ferries queues, so a lot of chaos.

We'd booked onto Stena mainly because it departs 20 minutes earlier. The Stena Adventurer is a biiiiig ship but not as big as the Ulysses berthed next door. Lots of lounges and comfy chairs, decent food at a decent price (huge plate of Swedish meatballs chips mash and peas for £5), though a little disappointed to find very few places you can go outside. Small noisy beer monsters by the bar on deck 8 so we went down to deck 7 to flop on sofas by floor to ceiling windows looking out at the bow.

Sailing took 3h25, then a bus into central Dublin. Entertained that they added 25c onto the kids bus fare but still say no change - basically its an extra 75c charge for the vast majority without fiddling small change. Anyway, arrival at Connelly (not Busaras as expected) and the boy wants a burger, so over to McDonalds then back to Connelly. Happily we're early as the 19:15 departure I had written down turns out to be 19:00, and they call the platform just as we arrive and the hordes pour out of the Enterprise waiting room. Train is quickly full and standing (we get seats...) but empties to tolerable levels at Drohega.

These are nice trains - big comfy seats mainly at tables aligned to windows, no tilt profile sides, feels roomy as it should on wide gauge. Also worth noting that we've done 5 countries today - left Scotland in the early hours, then England, Wales, the Republic and now Northern Ireland. A very civilised way to cover a lot of ground. Premier Inn in Belfast awaits, then off to Inverness tomorrow. Will we make the -3 connection off the bus at Ayr which gets us onto the Highland Chieftain from Perth?

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[Blindtraveler]

Advice to you, Ayr is barriered

 

[bb21]

You'll be fine as long as you don't get stuck behind a lorry on the A77. There is plenty of running time from the ferry terminal to Ayr built in otherwise. Last time we got stuck behind a queue of lorries and I missed a good +2 by about 10 seconds.

That East Coast guard was terrible. There are some around though. Even I got directed to Standard once after boarding at Wakefield W'gate.

 

[CallySleeper]

Enjoy the Superfast 8 tomorrow, I used to travel on her a lot (and not her alliterative sister!) The fry is ok but not as much as you would get for the same price in Belfast. Buy one hot drink and keep your cup to use in the machines in the deck 7 restaurant for free refills!

On boarding, I'd recommend immediately heading up one flight of stairs to deck 8 where you will find a decent size lounge with coffee bar and plenty of comfy window seats. It's also slightly quieter than deck 7 though it's holiday season so all the best. If you like spending time outside then upstairs on 10 gives a splendid view of Belfast Lough.

The Cairnryan bus (parked round the corner away from the Citylink!) takes 70 minutes with no hold ups. Ayr station is gated as is Central.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

About to get off Superfast VII. Great boat to ride on, plenty of outdoor decks unlike yesterday's Adventurer. Really chilled way to travel. So, that's the whole British Isles nations doe yesterday, now onwards to the highlands

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Didn't make the -6 as it turned out at Ayr (surprisingly....!) So on the 15:48 to Glasgow. This gives us an hour to get supplies and cross to Queen Street for a train to Perth (and a booked 6 minute connection north from there).

Weather really behaving itself so far, aside from drizzle in Belfast as we breakfasted it's been warm sunshine all day, not the thunderstorms forecast. As long as we don't get those tomorrow on Skye!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Chaos reigns in Glasgow! Huge crowds at Queen Street, train failures cancelling shuttles to Edinburgh and now another failure blocking the line at Lenzie. We're on the 1741 to Aberdeen which supposedly gave a +6 onto the 18:58 Edinburgh - Inverness. But we left 4 down and we're diverting via Cumberland.....

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Can that, we're still on the main line albeit running slowly. Having checked Perth connections there's two trains left tonight - the 18:11 ex Glasgow I chose not to wait for, and then another one late on. Glancing at realtime trains for news on the 18:11 - the inbound set has just been cancelled......

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Another update. We're still losing time, 18 late at Dunblane. But on the bright side the Glasgow - Inverness train running behind us is only 7 mins late and catching, so hopefully a 15 minutes connection at Perth onto a train that's not as busy after people caught earlier ones...,,

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[RochdalePioneers]

On the Inverness train, which like our previous Aberdeen train is formed 170+158. We're in the Turbostar and as expected its very quiet with a choice of tables. I almost miss the two guys sat with us on the other train though - off on one of them's stag do tomorrow and happy to gift me a Stella.

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[Blindtraveler]

pitty you missed the HC, A 170 Isnt the best vehicle in which to tackle the HML. I im honest the performance of FSR during the games hasnt been perhaps as good as it could have been but at least your not bustituted!

 

[CallySleeper]

Apologies, since you spoke of getting the Highland Chieftain I assumed you must have been on the 07.30 boat.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

To be honest the 170 was perfectly fine. Big windows on both sides, feels like you're really moving even when not actually going that fast, the engines under the floor aren't a problem when what you want is a bit of thrash along with your scenery.

As for the Chieftain had we not got stuck in traffic through Girvan then had to almost ram a taxi out of the way at Ayr we probably would have made it at a push onto the earlier train to Glasgow. But this way worked out just fine anyway

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[Blindtraveler]

Did they have any issue with your tickets as assume your on APs from Glasgow onward? Are you enjoying it so far?

 

[RochdalePioneers]

So far tickets have been:
EC rewards 1st Darlington - Edinburgh
Sleeper Bargain Berths (£29 ea!)
Sailrail Advance London - Belfast
Sailrail Day Single Belfast - Inverness

So no problems with tickets, in any case I'm chatty with station and train staff....

Now on a lightly loaded single 158 to Kyle with advances Inverness - Kyle, Mallaig - Fort William, Fort William - Edinburgh followed by more EC rewards 1sts to get back to Darlington. All advances booked earliest possible so stupidly cheap (eg Fort Bill - EDB is just £11.60 with Family Railcard).

Most importantly my 13 year old son is having a great time, had a wander now the Ness onto the islands this morning before getting the train. Bus from Kyle to Portree then back to Armadale for the ferry later. Bus and Calmac tickets the only things not bought months ago. Even the impossible to book on a summer weekend Premier Inn at Fort William was only £79.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Quick update for your viewing pleasure. Bus ticket was £8.25 each (nae discount frae bairns) for the day rider, with the Stagecoach coach absolutely spanking it across the island to Portree. A quick walk around Portree then onto a normal single decker who again absolutely raced across the island.

At least as far as Broadford where we sit for no good reason for 10 mins. Whoever drew up the timetable for Skye needs a medal - poor interchange with the trains at Kyle, random layby waits.....

 

[Johnuk123]

At least as far as Broadford where we sit for no good reason for 10 mins. Whoever drew up the timetable for Skye needs a medal - poor interchange with the trains at Kyle, random layby waits.....

Aren't there buses from both Armadale pier and Elgol which go to Broadford perhaps that explains your Broadford wait.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Yes, Broardford is the connection point for many services it would seam! agree the FortBill PI is very hard to get!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Agree that Broadford is a connection point for many journeys. Just not this one - we sat by ourselves and twiddled our thumbs. No other buses came near!

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[Johnuk123]

Agree that Broadford is a connection point for many journeys. Just not this one - we sat by ourselves and twiddled our thumbs. No other buses came near!

The small buses that connect sometimes are very late so perhaps your bus waits a set time then leaves anyway.